癌症 z-bo 2020-09-17 354

　　Scientists often use mice to test drugs, but now some cancer patients also hope that experimental mice can cure themselves. They paid for a private laboratory to breed some mice as "substitutes" for experimental treatments. These mice carry tumor tissue from some patients, and their response helps determine whether the patient has received intolerable chemotherapy and which drugs are most effective. In the past few years, hundreds of patients have customized their own "alternatives" to test their chemotherapy regimens. Eileen Uti, a breast cancer patient living in Miami, USA, said: "What I am doing is personalized cancer treatment, which is the trend of the future. I don't want to accept chemotherapy that is not suitable for me, which will poison my body."

　　Can these mouse "replacements" really help cancer patients? No one has the courage to pack up the ticket. At least in the opinion of Ryan Kirchtenfield, deputy chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society, "there is no substantive science" to prove the effectiveness of this method, and it is considered very experimental. should.

　　Last week, the world’s largest breast cancer conference was held at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium. This is also the third major cancer conference this year with the theme of customized cancer mice. According to the latest report of the physicist organization network, Alana Wilm, a cancer researcher at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, introduced the work of the mouse "replacement" at the meeting. , But this is very time-consuming and very expensive. Normal patients still need standard treatment. Where can I customize

　　"Replace" the mouse?

　　Although some laboratories breed this type of mice, Champions Oncology is a major provider of customized "alternative" services for patients and has offices in London, Tel Aviv and Singapore. Located in the company

　　In Baltimore’s laboratory, six rooms are equipped with lockers similar to shoe racks. Approximately 7,000 mice live in rack-mounted plastic cages, each with a corresponding label. The name of the cancer patient.

　　Most customized mice are white-haired female mice with small round red eyes and some hairless. Some mice live alone in the room, and some live in groups. Many mice have signs of tumor transplantation, such as shaved parts, scars from incisions, and large lumps on one side of the body.

　　how much is it?

　　The patient sends the tumor sample to the Champion Oncology Department. The company charges a storage fee of $1,500. Each time a group of mice is used to test the drug, it will add $2,500. Angela Davis, the company's chief medical officer, predicts that most patients will test 3-5 drugs at a cost of between $10,000 and $12,000, without insurance company guarantees.

　　Youti spent $30,000 because he wanted them to test all possible drugs, even drugs used to treat other types of cancer.

　　How's the effect?

　　There are some encouraging news. Andrew Gaya, head of oncology care at a private clinic in London, led the study of 70 patients. Their experiments published in September showed that the "replacement" of mice usually reflects the patient's response to multiple drugs. According to Gaya, 70% of mouse tests found drugs that were helpful to patients, but drugs that were ineffective in mice also failed in human patients. However, there is currently no evidence that this method is superior to existing genetic tests, which can help patients choose drugs based on medical guidance and treatment.

　　What is the limitation of

　　? Benjamin Neal, head of research at the Princess Margaret Cancer Center in Toronto and spokeswoman for the American Association for Cancer Research, said,

　　The "twins" of mice have some drawbacks.

　　First, the testing process takes several months before the patient can start treatment. In addition, all tumor implants from patients cannot reflect the human tumor environment because they are all under the skin of mice, rather than where cancer usually occurs, such as the pancreas and lungs. At the same time, the "surrogate" immune system of these mice is so damaged that it can tolerate human tumors without being rejected. This is the treatment of the human immune system. This means it cannot be used because it cannot reflect whether it responds or not. To test immunotherapy.

　　Neil believes that "even if these (mouses) prove to be indeed valuable," they may not be on par with new technological advances. For example, a technique that can grow tumor cells in a laboratory dish in just a few weeks.

　　But Uti said that genetic testing and the opinions of the attending physician, apart from the "replacement" of the mouse, seemed to be the best choice for her. Two effective drugs were found in her mouse "stand-in" test, and she chose a drug with less side effects on the heart. She recently completed chemotherapy and the radiotherapy is about to end.

　　At which stage of cancer patients can it be applied? For patients with metastatic cancer or cancer cells that have been returned before treatment,

　　"Alternative" experimental treatment in mice is the best option and will help them choose their next treatment plan.

　　59-year-old Aaron Panov (Aaron Panov) is from Toronto. He was diagnosed with liposarcoma of soft tissue cancer four years ago. The doctor did not recommend any special drugs and said that he could survive for 6 months.

　　But his mouse "replacement" helped him. The examination showed that the first prescription drug was ineffective, but the other colon cancer drug may be effective. Panov said: "This has greatly strengthened my confidence and resistance to side effects. He is currently in relief.

　　Ruben Mosel (71 years old) is from Tel Aviv, he has colon cancer. "It has spread to the liver, but the mouse's "replacement" confirmed that the prescription drug he used was a good choice. Mo Ze's "replacement" mice were raised in February this year and are still receiving treatment.