4 Bold Approaches to Cancer Treatment

Cell therapy and gene therapy are overlapping fields of biomedical research and treatment. Both therapies aim to treat, prevent, or potentially cure diseases, and both approaches have the potential to alleviate the underlying cause of genetic diseases and acquired diseases.

Tumors are masters of defense and deception, evading our immune systems with many molecular tricks. Scientists are investigating several approaches to increase the body’s immune response to cancer, including educating and activating immune cells, and exploring the role of inflammation in cancer.

Radioligand therapy combines a precision targeting compound with a therapeutic radioisotope (a radioactive particle). After administration into the bloodstream, the radioligand binds to the target cells and acts as the delivery agent for treatment via the radioisotope, which damages tumor cells, potentially disrupting their ability to replicate and/or triggering cell death, while aiming to limit damage to healthy tissue.

Targeted therapies treat cancer by blocking the pathways or mutations driving tumor growth. Understanding the biology of cancer helps tailor treatments to specifically target the tumor.