05/03/2016

BreakthroughincancerresearchcouldspawnnewtreatmentsCNN.com

Breakthrough in cancer research could spawn

new treatments
By Holly Yan, CNN
Updated 2340 GMT (0740 HKT) March 4, 2016

Home

Source: CNN

Fighting cancer by targeting its 'Achilles' heel' 01:51

Story highlights
Scientists have discovered possible new ways
to attack core mutations in a patient's cancer
cells
There are several limitations, including cost and
the speed at which treatments could be
developed

(CNN)A new breakthrough in cancer research could

lead to a novel form of cancer treatment -- one that is
highly specialized for each patient.
Researchers discovered that even though cancer cells
mutate wildly within a person's body, the cancer cells
within each patient also have common mutations -ones that could be isolated and fought off by certain
immune cells.

Think of it this way: A patient's cancer cells all start off

with the same tree trunk, but then grow different kinds
of branches. The new research shows certain immune
cells can "chop the tree at the trunk rather than just
pruning the branches," Dr. Sergio Quezada told CNN.
Quezada, from the University College London's
Cancer Institute, co-authored the study, which was
published Thursday by Science magazine.
For years, one of the biggest obstacles in fighting
http://edition.cnn.com/2016/03/04/health/cancertreatmentresearchbreakthrough/index.html

1/4

05/03/2016

BreakthroughincancerresearchcouldspawnnewtreatmentsCNN.com

Related Video: WHO urges cancer

prevention 02:42

cancer has been the fact that a tumor's cancer cells

are not all the same.
"The tumor is an evolving mass. Mutations change
here and there. Mutations in one area of the tumor
are usually different from mutations in other parts of
the tumors," Quezada said.
Read: These dogs can sniff out cancer better than
some tests
In a statement to Cancer Research UK, he likened
the fight against cancer to police chasing a wide

array of criminals.
"The body's immune system acts as the police trying to tackle cancer, the criminals. Genetically diverse
tumours are like a gang of hoodlums involved in different crimes -- from robbery to smuggling. And the
immune system struggles to keep on top of the cancer -- just as it's difficult for police when there's so much
going on," he said.
"Our research shows that instead of aimlessly chasing crimes in different neighborhoods, we can give the
police the information they need to get to the kingpin at the root of all organized crime -- or the weak spot in
a patient's tumor -- to wipe out the problem for good."

What this means for treatment

Quezada told CNN this discovery could lead to two kinds of treatment:
1) Making customized vaccines to target the core mutations in each patient.
2) Identifying which immune cells, or T-cells, can fight off those core mutations, then multiplying those T-cells
in a lab.
Quezada said the customized vaccines would be "the ultimate personalized form of therapy."
"This would mean basically taking a cancer tumor,
finding the trunk, and then designing a vaccine (to)
inject in the patent," he said.

"The second approach is to 'fish' these cells -- Tcells -- that recognize the trunk, expand them outside
the patient" and inject them in the body.
Quezada said no human trials have started using
either approach in light of the study, but said he
hopes trials will begin within five years.
Read: Blindsided by cancer? 5 things to do

Related Video: Billionaire behind Cancer

Moonshot 2020 02:49

The limitations

But the discovery doesn't mean all cancer patients

will be cured soon. The potential for new treatment also has several limitations.
First is "the speed at which you can generate personalized therapy," Quezada said. "Some cancers go really
fast."
http://edition.cnn.com/2016/03/04/health/cancertreatmentresearchbreakthrough/index.html

2/4

05/03/2016

BreakthroughincancerresearchcouldspawnnewtreatmentsCNN.com

Developing a customized vaccine, for example, could

take more time than a cancer patient has.

Second, it would be expensive. Quezada said he

doesn't have an estimate on how much either type of
treatment would cost, but given the highly
customized nature of each, it could be extremely
expensive.
"That's going to be an important point of this
discussion," he said.

Related Video: Pharmaceutical CEO

speaks about $1 cancer drug 03:32

Finally, such treatments would likely work better for

some types of cancer than others. Quezada said he
believes lung cancer and melanoma would be the
most likely to respond well to such treatment.
Read: Why cancer drugs worth $3B are wasted

A massive collaboration
A team of 36 international researchers worked on the study, which included scientists from the London, the
United States, Denmark and Germany. The study was funded by Cancer Research UK and the Rosetrees
Trust.
"It's the most amazing collaboration I've ever worked on, Quezada said. "It's been an amazing roller
coaster."
The next roller coaster will be determining when patients could receive the treatments -- and learning how
well they might work.
CNN's Dominique Heckels contributed to this report.

Couple never expected their Fitbit would tell

them this ...
Hidden danger of calling breast-feeding 'natural'

http://edition.cnn.com/2016/03/04/health/cancertreatmentresearchbreakthrough/index.html

3/4

05/03/2016

BreakthroughincancerresearchcouldspawnnewtreatmentsCNN.com

When should you replace your toothbrush?

Flint lead poisoning: Living with uncertainty long-term

http://edition.cnn.com/2016/03/04/health/cancertreatmentresearchbreakthrough/index.html

4/4