For example, the availability and affordability of sequencing genetic information has improved greatly – meaning researchers and doctors are now better able to get information about a person’s risk for certain cancers as well as what drugs might work best for cancer patients.
For cancers that cannot be removed with surgery, chemotherapy and radiation are often used to shrink a tumor, make it easier to remove, or reduce the risk of recurrence. These therapies are sometimes given together as a single treatment.
Precision Immunotherapies
Precision immunotherapy is a growing field of research that harnesses the power of your immune system to destroy cancer cells. It can be achieved through a variety of methods, including immune checkpoint blockers, cancer vaccines, monoclonal antibodies and CAR T-cell therapy.
A growing understanding of the interactions between tumor and immune systems has fueled the development of new treatments for many types of cancers. This has allowed researchers to develop more precise drugs that target the specific gene and protein changes in each person’s cancer.
The goal of precision medicine is to match treatments with a patient’s genetic makeup, medical history and test results. However, a major challenge in developing these techniques is that each person’s cancer is different, meaning it can be difficult to predict how a particular treatment will work in the body.
This is especially true for tumors with a high number of mutations. These tumors have a difficult time responding to conventional anticancer drugs, but they can respond to immune checkpoint inhibitors and other immunotherapy treatments.
Targeted Drugs
Targeted drugs are medicines that specifically attack the genetic changes that make cancer cells grow and spread. They often have fewer side effects than chemotherapy drugs and can help keep the cancer under control.
Targeted therapies may be given by pill, through a drip into your vein (IV) or as an injection under the skin. They are usually taken in repeat cycles with periods of rest between treatments.
Some targeted therapies can also mark cancer cells, making it easier for your immune system to find and destroy them. These include a group of medicines called immunotherapy agents, such as Yervoy, Opdivo and Tecentriq.
Some targeted therapies also block signals that tell cancer cells to divide too fast and too often. This is known as a signal transduction inhibitor. A medication used to treat HER2-positive breast cancer, for example, blocks this signal from telling the cell to grow.
DNA Cages
DNA cages are a promising new target for drug delivery. They can hold molecules firmly inside them and release them when hit with light.
One study, published in the journal ACS Nano, shows that they can trap small proteins and even some of the larger ones. The researchers trapped a dye that’s commonly used to tag proteins and other biological molecules inside the cages, then hit them with low-power beams of ultraviolet light.
Another study, published in ACS Biochemistry and Biophysics, showed that they can also hold other molecules, like glutamate. When they were hit with a quick flash of light, the glutamate escaped.
Artificial Intelligence
In the future, artificial intelligence (AI) will play an essential role in delivering personalized cancer treatment. These technologies will allow patients to know their genetic profile, and understand their individual risks before receiving a treatment that’s right for them.
AI algorithms will be able to collect, analyze and act on real-time data. This makes them distinct from passive machines that respond only to mechanical inputs.
These algorithms are also capable of learning and adapting to change. This is a crucial quality in AI systems that can help them become better equipped to deal with new circumstances and situations that arise.
Artificial intelligence research has had a long history and has come through a period known as the “AI Winter.” The first AI Winter lasted from 1974 to 1980.
