Using Cancer to Fight Cancer

BOSTON, MA, (American Health Newswire) -- Measles, mumps and even the flu, they're just a few of the ailments that may come to mind when you think about vaccines. But now a new therapeutic vaccine 15 years in the making could make cancer kill itself.

Cancer flies under the immune system's radar in many cases remaining hidden until it's too late. Now a personalized vaccine developed in-part by Doctor David Avigan is helping fight the potential killer.

"The goal of the vaccine is to see whether one can really re-educate our immune system to see cancer cells as foreign, "Dr. David Avigan, Director of the Bone Marrow Transplant and Hematologic Malignancy Program at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, explained.

Still in the early stages of development, the vaccine fuses a patient's tumor cells with immune-stimulating dendritic cells. The new cells are then injected back into patients.

"What we saw was that there we very strong immune responses that were generated in these patients, against their own tumor cells," Dr. Avigan said.

In a phase one trial of the vaccine 66 percent of patients with advanced multiple myeloma stabilized for a period of time. In other studies, Doctor Avigan says some patients saw their disease regress. He also hopes to use the vaccine as a way to prevent recurrence.

Howard Bleich found out he had acute leukemia two years ago. After four rounds of chemo he was given the vaccine.

"The last time they checked me I had not relapsed," Howard said.

Howard's wife wasn't sure he'd live to see their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary. They've just celebrated their twenty-sixth.

 (American Health Newswire) - It's an epidemic sweeping the nation. About 600,000 people die of heart disease in the United States every year, but a new discovery could improve prevention and treatment of the disease.

Canadian scientists showed a protein called, resistin, secreted by fat tissue, causes high levels of bad cholesterol. The research showed resistin increases production of LDL in human liver cells and also degrades LDL receptors in the liver, accelerating the accumulation of LDL in arteries.

The research led by Doctor Shirya Rashid at McMaster University also showed that resistin adversely impacts the effects of statins used in the treatment and prevention of heart disease.

"The bigger implication of our results is that high blood resistin levels may be the cause of the inability of statins to lower patients' LDL cholesterol," Dr. Shirya Rashid, assistant professor in the department of medicine at McMaster University, was quoted saying.

High cholesterol is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke. About 40 percent of Canadians have high blood pressure and Dr. Beth Abramsom from the Heart and Stroke Foundation says is a big concern.

"The possibilities for improved therapy for the causes of cardiovascular disease are very important," Dr. Abramsom was quoted as saying.

Scientists believe the discovery could lead to revolutionary new therapeutic drugs that target and inhibit resistin. Meanwhile Doctors warn the best prevention is still maintaining a proper weight and a healthy diet.

"It's equally important to take your medications as directed by your physician to help further reduce risks," Dr. Abramsom was quoted as saying.

Source: Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada

 (American Health Newswire)-Vitamin D is a popular supplement. It promotes bone health and may prevent cancer, heart disease, autoimmune diseases and diabetes. While researchers debate whether or not supplements effectively protect against such a wide range of bodily ailments, the Institute of Medicine has issued new guidelines reducing required levels.