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(I-Newswire) September 25, 2005 - September 24, 2005- According to the American Cancer Society, cancer is the second leading cause of death in children and leukemia is one the most common cancers claiming their lives. In 2005 the American Cancer Society estimates 34,810 news cases of leukemia and a staggering 22,570 lives will be claimed to this disease. Traditional treatments such as chemotherapy, radiation and surgery are common for patients to experience with poor side effects and poor quality of life. A new immunotherapy is changing the fate of leukemia patients while promoting a better quality of life.
Immunotherapy is the use of the immune system to fight off chronic diseases, such as cancer. Many strategies of immunotherapy have been developed over the last two decades, with more recent research focused on the infusion of white blood cells, the backbone of the immune system, into patients. In the immunotherapy process these white blood cells are activated and expanded outside the body in an attempt for them to target tumor cells. This strategy is called adoptive immunotherapy. Extensive research has shown that three types of white blood cells seem to be the most potent at fighting tumors. These cells include natural killer cells (NKs), natural killer T cells (NKTs), and cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs). Natural killer cells are particularly key in fighting cancer, as they are the body's first-line defense against cancer and viruses. Natural killer cells have the ability to recognize and kill these cells by attaching to them and injecting a type of cellular poison that breaks the cells apart. They can also recognize cancer cells that have spread (metastasized) from the primary site of disease.
Leukemia has posed interesting questions to researchers in the field of immunotherapy because leukemia is a cancer of white blood cells, and most immunotherapy strategies try to increase the ability of white blood cells to fight cancer. Only very recently have adoptive immunotherapy strategies become available for patients with leukemia. The major hurdle was being able to isolate normal, non-leukemic cells that could fight against cancerous cells.
Published research has confirmed that natural killer cells, natural killer T cells, and cytotoxic T lymphocytes can indeed be isolated, expanded and activated from the blood of patients with leukemia. Although patients with acute lymphoid leukemia (ALL) or chronic lymphoid leukemia (CLL) have very few normal lymphocytes, successful expansion of natural killer cells, natural killer T cells, and cytotoxic lymphocytes was noted.1-5 These cells could also be generated from patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) or chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), whose lymphocytes are non-cancerous but typically dysfunctional.6-11 In almost all cases, the natural killer cells, natural killer T cells, and cytotoxic lymphocytes expanded from leukemia patients were able to kill tumor cells in laboratory tests.2-4, 6-11 There is strong evidence that in acute leukemia patients who have gone into remission, the ability of their natural killer cells to kill cancer cells in laboratory tests is a strong indicator of continued remission.12 Those patients with higher natural killer cell activity had longer remission periods than those with lower natural killer cell activity.12
A recent clinical trial at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota utilized natural killer cells in patients with poor prognosis acute myeloid leukemia. 5 out of 19 patients experienced complete remissions after receiving these NK cell infusions.13 The use of natural killer cell therapy in earlier stage patients is being considered due to these results. In other published scientific studies, the presence of activated NK cells and other tumor-fighting immune cells have been found to be key factors in the response of cancer patients to drugs such as thalidomide and Gleevec.14,15
The latest and most advanced immunotherapy is found in Scottsdale, Arizona. Envita Natural Medical Center, a clinic focused on natural, non-toxic, researched based care currently utilizes natural killer cells, natural killer T cells and T lymphocytes as supportive immunotherapy for cancer patients. Envita's therapy, 4NKT, grows a patient's own antitumor immune cells into the billions. These cells are analyzed for activation markers, tested for their ability to kill cancer cells in the laboratory, then reinfused into the patient. The infusion of activated natural killer cells is much more effective than any indirect stimulation of natural killer cell activity. Backed by scientific research and clinical results, 4NKT offers a powerful option for leukemia patients who are looking to fight cancer while keeping their immune system intact.
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For more information please contact Anna Garcia at (602) 569-4144 or at anna@behealthyamerica.com.
For list of full references log on to www.behealthyamerica.com
Company Contact Information
Envita/ Anna Garcia
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