White Blood Cell Cures for Cancer

The body's white blood cells are part of the immune system. They combat infection. Unfortunately, individuals with cancer often endure chemotherapy, which not only kills cancer cells, but healthy cells as well. The result is a loss of the very cells the body needs in order to combat the disease. A new therapy, however, suggests that the addition of a certain type of white blood cell just might result in a cancer cure.

The Mice Study

• In 2006, Zheng Cui, an associate at the Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, stumbled upon something miraculous. Although many attempted cancer cures proved fruitless during mouse trials, an interesting outcome did occur. One particular type of mouse was resistant to exposure to various cancer strains. Furthermore, more than one-half of the mouse's offspring were also cancer resistant.

  The research team then injected white cells into cancerous mice to see if the immunity would transfer. The white cells went immediately to work to eliminate the disease. All of the trial mice were completely cured.

  Comparing the ordinary mice and the cancer-resistant mice, researchers determined a significant difference. Cancer-resistant mice contained a gene that worked on its own, as well as with existing white cells, to eliminate the disease.

Human Testing

• Two years later, Cui made another discovery. Using white blood cells against human donor cells infected with breast, cervical, and prostate cancer, the immune-boosting cells attacked the cancer in laboratory test tubes. Although the experiment met with varied degrees of success, progress was made in every instance. The next logical step was to perform trials directly on human subjects. In 2008, the Federal Food and Drug Administration gave Cui permission to go forward with human testing.

  The key appears to lie in large groups of white cells known as granulocytes. The granules packed inside of granulocytes work like a toxin against cancer. Although other scientists had concluded granulocytes might effectively fight infection, none had pursued their link to cancer.

  Cui hypothesized that healthy human hosts with an abundance of granulocytes could donate cells to cancer patients. If so, it could be logically concluded that their transfer might offer cancer patients what they need to fight the disease or even offer a cancer cure.

How it Works

• Once injected, healthy white cells head for cancer's mutated cells because they perceive them to be an infection. The healthy cells surround the bad cells to prevent multiplication, eventually attacking and killing them. The introduction of white cells also appears to provide an immunity against further outbreak. In the small number of mice cases where tumors developed, the cancer was eradicated within 48 to 72 hours.

Possible Drawback

• With clinical trials underway, it is uncertain what researchers may ultimately find. However, one obvious problem is apparent. The mutated gene required might not occur in human beings as it does in mice. However, in September of 2009, British scientists discovered what they think is the answer: a gene called E4bp4. It jump starts stem cells to turn on immune defense. Research is now underway to create a drug to boost the gene's development.