Researchers at Tel Aviv University, in Israel, have developed a genetic system that they said showed great ability to eliminate cancer cells inside living bodies, paving the way for an effective treatment for this deadly disease.
The new system is called CRISPR-LNPs, which are lipid nanoparticles with genetic code that create an enzyme that acts as a scissor that cuts off the DNA of cancer cells.
To demonstrate the effectiveness of the new system, researchers chose two of the most deadly types of cancers in humans, the first being brain cancer and ovarian cancer.
For example, the average life expectancy of a patient with brain cancer after diagnosis is 15 months, while the survival rate for five years does not exceed 3 percent.
Using the new treatment in just one session in infected mice doubled their average living, and also raised the survival rate from 3 percent to about 30 percent, according to the study.
"This is the first study in the world to prove that the CRISPR genome system can be used to treat cancer effectively in a live animal," said Professor Dan Beer, who conducted the study in his laboratory at Tel Aviv University.
"It must be emphasized that this is not a chemotherapy treatment. There are no side effects, and a cancer cell treated in this way will not become active again. The Cas9 molecular scissors cuts off the DNA of the cancer cell, thus," Bear added. It neutralizes them and permanently prevents reproduction. "
The study, published in the journal Science Advances, opens the door to treating other genetic and chronic diseases such as AIDS, according to the researchers.
Despite the revolution brought about by the "CRISPR" system, according to Behr, the therapeutic application in humans still requires an effective and safe delivery system to the targeted cancer cells.
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