Government’s National Cancer Institute Begins First Test of New Immunotherapy

Big government institutionalized medical science is taking a big step in the direction of integrative oncology. They are actually doing something that acknowledges the body’s natural immune system in fighting cancer. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) is conducting a Phase I clinical trial of an agent (not a drug) that enhances the immune system as the primary opponent of metastatic malignant melanoma and metastatic renal cell cancer, a kidney cancer.

The goal of cancer immunotherapy is to stimulate or restore the immune system’s natural ability to attack cancer cells. It is a relatively new area of institutional cancer research, although strengthening the body’s natural immune system to fight cancer has been the objective of integrative oncologists for decades. I applaud this, of course, but something makes me want to call the directors of this trial and say, “Duh!”

The immunotherapy trial is testing interleukin 15 (IL-15), a naturally occurring protein that helps regulate immune responses. It stimulates the proliferation of immune cells that have a “memory” of the cancer, so the immune system can recognize and attack the cancer. The immune cells stimulated are T cells and B cells that generate natural killer cells. These cells fight cancer cells for a very long duration. Previous studies with nonhuman primates have seen natural killer cells increase sevenfold and T cells increase 80- to 100-fold following administration of IL-15. It is being described by NCI researchers as a superstimulator of natural killer cells and T cells.

Pharmaceutical companies have largely gotten out of the business of producing new immunotherapy agents following some “early clinical disappointments” (I read this as “This isn’t going to make us any money, so let’s forget it.”). So, NCI has invested in developing and producing the IL-15 agent to allow continued testing of such a promising therapy.

Although clinical trials are usually confined to particular types of cancer during testing, I am hopeful that, when the research proves viable, it will be further tested on a host of other cancers. For now, if you know anyone who is suffering from metastasized (Stage IV) melanoma or renal cell cancer, encourage them to contact the NCI Clinical Trials Referral Office at 888-NCI-1937.

Please consider allocating a portion of your cancer charitable giving to the Connie Thompson Foundation (www.cancerchoices.org) or other foundations that support integrative cancer care exclusively. Remember, integrative cancer treatment research receives only 1% of all cancer research, yet I believe it has the greatest potential of any research.