Scientists at the National Cancer Institute said they have found a new method for treating cancers of the lung, liver and colon in test animals.
美國國家癌癥研究所的科學家表示,他們發現了一種新方法,可以治療試驗動物肺癌、肝癌和結腸癌。
The scientists report the method cured cancer of the liver and colon in mice. NPR's Lori Garrett has details.
這些科學家稱,這種方法可以治療小鼠身上的肝癌和結腸癌。下面請聽我臺記者洛里·加勒特發回的詳細報道。
Doctor Steven Rosenberg has done it again.
史蒂文·羅森伯格醫生再次進行了嘗試。
Last year, Rosenberg stunned the medical community with word
去年,羅森伯格震驚了整個醫學界,
he had successfully treated some human cancer patients with a revolutionary type of therapy.
因為他說自己已經成功治療了一些患有癌癥的病人,而使用的是一種顛覆性的療法。
But some of the patients suffered serious side effects from the treatment. One died as a result.
但一些病人也飽受治療手段的副作用之苦,其中一位病人還因此而死亡。
So Rosenberg has been busy working on improvements.
所以羅森伯格一直在忙著做改進工作。
Today, in Science magazine, Rosenberg reports studies in mice show he may have found the right treatment.
今天,據《科學》雜志報道,羅森伯格稱,對小鼠的研究表明自己可能已經發現了正確的療法。
Rosenberg is working on ways to trick the body's immune system into successfully attacking tumor cells.
羅森伯格正在研究如何讓人體的免疫系統成功攻擊腫瘤細胞。
The immune system is complicated. Any successful attack on cancer cells involves a vast army of special immune chemicals and cells.
免疫系統很復雜。要想成功攻擊癌癥細胞,需要大批特殊的免疫物質和細胞參與其中。
A key chemical is Interleukin-2. It stimulates cells of the immune system to do their jobs and kill enemy targets such as cancer cells.
其中一個關鍵性的物質是白細胞介素-2,它可以免疫系統的細胞各盡其職,殺死癌細胞等敵對目標。
Interleukin-2 is now readily available, cheaply manufactured because it can be made through genetic engineering techniques.
白細胞介素-2現在很常見了,而且制作成本很低,因為它可以通過基因工程技術來制造。

Rosenberg and his colleagues initially tried to grow human white blood cells in the laboratory in dishes full of Interleukin-2.
羅森伯格及其同事最開始嘗試在滿是白細胞介素-2的容器中植入人體白細胞。
The idea was to stimulate those white blood cells, make them good fighters,
這樣做的初衷是為了刺激這些白細胞,讓他們成為頑強的戰士,
and then inject them back into the cancer patients where they would tackle the enemy tumor cells.
然后將他們注入回癌癥患者身上,這樣他們就能攻擊敵方的腫瘤細胞了。
It worked, but the doses of Interleukin-2 that were required were toxic, even deadly.
這種方法奏效了,但所需白細胞介素-2的劑量抬太高,會產生毒性,甚至引發死亡。
Now, Rosenberg is trying something new on mice.
現在,羅森伯格正在對小鼠嘗試新療法。
Instead of withdrawing white blood cells and treating them in the laboratory, Rosenberg removes pieces of the actual tumors.
他并沒有提取出白細胞,并在實驗室里對其進行治療,相反,羅森伯格提取了部分腫瘤組織。
He then grows those tumor cells in the lab in dishes full of Interleukin-2.
然后,羅森伯格將這些腫瘤細胞種植在滿是白細胞介素-2的容器中。
In a few days, the tumor cells die, leaving only a handful of lymphocytes.
幾天內,腫瘤細胞就死了,只留下一些淋巴球。
These are cells that were attached to the tumors, but were previously unable to kill them.
淋巴球是附著于腫瘤細胞的細胞,但之前卻并沒有能力殺死腫瘤細胞。
Now, activated by their incubation with Interleukin-2, these lymphocytes are ready to fight.
現在,在白細胞介素-2的幫助下,他們通過潛伏贏取了作戰的籌碼。
Rosenberg injects these specially primed lymphocytes into the mice.
羅森伯格將這種經過特殊處理的淋巴球注入到小鼠體內。
He also injects more Interleukin-2, but in small enough doses that no side effects are noticed. And he injects one more thing:
他還注入了更多的白細胞介素-2,但新增的劑量很小,不會引起明顯的負面效應,他還注入了另一個東西:
a chemical that suppresses the rest of the immune system so that nothing will interfere with the work of the primed killer cells.
一種可以抑制免疫系統休息的物質,這樣的話,經過特殊處理的殺手細胞就不會受到干預了。
The results are nothing short of astonishing.
實驗結果令人震驚。
Now remember this is mice, but for all mice with advanced cancers of the colon, this treatment eliminated 100% of the tumors.
實驗對象雖然是小鼠,但所有患有重度結腸癌的小鼠,其腫瘤的治愈率都是100%。
Half of the mice with lung cancer were cured. All of the mice with cancer of the liver were cured.
一半患有肺癌的小鼠得到了治愈。所有患有肝癌的小鼠得到了治愈。
Now, Rosenberg's laboratory is growing similar killer cells for human beings,
現在,羅森伯格實驗室正在為人類種植類似的殺手細胞,
and the National Cancer Institute plans to begin human experimental treatment soon.
美國國家癌癥研究所計劃不久后對人類進行治療。
Although this study appears quite hopeful, it must be remembered that this work so far only involves mice.
雖然這項研究看起來很有希望,但一定要記住,這項工作目前為止還僅對小鼠奏效。
Whether results will be as dramatic in human beings remains to be seen. I'm Gorrett reporting.
對人類是否奏效還有待觀察,感謝收聽格雷特為您發回的報道。