Gene therapy induces potent immune response and cures metastatic melanoma in mouse model.

In a sophisticated set of experiments, researchers from Indiana and the National Cancer Institute have demonstrated that a particular type of immune cell (CD4 T cells) are capable of guiding the elimination of melanoma implanted into mice.  The system is special for several reasons.  First, the researchers utilized CD4 cells instead of CD8 cells, as most research has.  Additionally, the use of stem cells enabled them to get long-term responses not seen in systems using mature cells.  The research, although a long way from the clinic, demonstrates an important proof-of-principle for the potential of this approach to treating melanoma and other cancers.