What is cancer?
Cancer is a disease that causes uncontrolled cell growth in its patients. A billion cells make up the human body. Most of these cells divide to form new cells so that our bodies can remain healthy. However, some cells multiply a lot in some people and cause tumours.
While some tumours are harmless, others can be very harmful. They might damage nearby healthy cells and organs. These harmful tumours are called cancer.
While some cancers can be cured, others cannot (oh no!). A teenage girl's cancer was recently successfully treated by a new therapy (yay!).
What kind of treatment was used on the girl?
Every previous treatment for Alyssa's leukaemia had failed. So, using a new technique called "base editing," doctors at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London, United Kingdom (UK), treated and cured her.
Alyssa, aged 13, was suffering from T-cell leukaemia. T-cells protect the body by identifying and removing threats. But in Alyssa's case, they had gotten out of control and were dangerous. Every treatment failed to cure her.
She could not have been saved if the doctors had not used "base editing." Six months later, the cancer is no longer present in her body, but Alyssa is still being watched in case it returns.
What is base editing?
Bases are the parts of DNA that contain information needed for the body to function. They are like letters in the alphabet that form words with meaning.
Doctors can change a base in the DNA through a method known as base editing. In Alyssa's situation, "base editing" was used to produce a type of T-cell that wouldn't kill healthy cells in her body.
This T-cell would hunt down and remove every other T-cell in Alyssa's body. After this treatment was successful, Alyssa received a bone marrow transplant. This helped save her as healthy T-cells grew that wouldn't cause her any more harm.
What did we learn from this article?
We learned that doctors and science are equally important to medicine. Science helps in the development of new medicines, therapies, and technologies that improve overall health and living conditions for everyone. Doctors treat patients using the information and methods that have been created through scientific research.
So, do you want to become a doctor or a scientist when you grow up? Please tell us in the comments section.
