Drug Resistance Therapy
Some patients' leukemia may be resistant to certain chemotherapy drugs, rendering treatment unsuccessful. Recent research has helped scientists how a leukemia cell defends itself against chemotherapy, leading investigators to seek ways to get around this mechanism.
Oncogenes
Oncogenes are cancer-causing genes, which are usually inactive or defective. Unlocking the specific genetic mutations that trigger the development of leukemia cells could lead to new treatments that block the effects of these genes.
Transplantation
The use of stem cells or umbilical cord blood instead of bone marrow may make transplantation a more viable option for some patients. The procedure for storing stem cells and cord blood is similar to that used by blood banks. Stem cells are frozen and stored for future use in potential recipients who do not have related donors with similar tissue types.
Immunotherapy
This technique is designed to enhance the ability of the immune system to suppress leukemia progression. One example is radioimmunotherapy, which combines antibodies with attached isotopes that emit radiation to destroy leukemia cells. The antibodies can be made in a lab.
Another approach utilizes normal lymphocytes that have been immunized to recognize leukemia cells as foreign. In this capacity, the lymphocytes can attack leukemia cells.
Cytokines
These chemicals are used to restore normal blood cell levels during chemotherapy or to stimulate the immune system to fight leukemia. Cytokines occur naturally, but can be manufactured using biotechnology techniques.
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