Paddock, Catharine. "Stem Cells May Provide Vaccine For Colon Cancer." Medical News Today. MediLexicon International Ltd, 8 Oct. 2009. Web. 15 Nov. 2009. <http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/166696.php>.
The field of stem cell research is advancing, slowly but surely. While the changes in stem cell policy are (as of yet) small, they are paving the way for fantastic future applications and discoveries involving stem cells. One potential future use of stem cells is a vaccine preventing cancer.
The University of Connecticut Stem Cell Institute has shown that human embryonic stem cells injected into mice consistently promote an anti-tumor immune response against colon cancer cells. Other scientists have used stem cells in an attempt to vaccinate against cancer, but the University of Connecticut vaccine is the first to “trick” the host’s immune system into believing it had cancer and trigger a cancer-fighting response. In the past, scientists have attempted to target antigens, such as proteins, on the surface of the cancer cells. So far, the University of Connecticut’s study has only been performed in mice (with promising results), but in the future, who knows what will happen? Perhaps someday scientists will have the technology and knowledge to create a universal vaccine for cancer.
Cancer is the number-two cause of death in America. More than 500,000 Americans die from cancer each year. If a universal vaccine for cancer becomes a reality, more than half a million lives will be saved each year. An effective cancer vaccine would be significantly less expensive than providing for the millions of people fighting cancer each year. Billions of dollars could be saved annually. Funding for a universal cancer vaccine makes economic sense. Now the technology (and regulatory practices in the US) just needs to catch up.
- Annie Bonaccorso
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