In early December, Fairfield resident Dr. Jonathan Lewis presented groundbreaking research to the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) 2014 Immunology and Immunotherapy Meeting in Orlando. In an exclusive interview with local writer Leonaura Rhodes, he summarized the very complicated but exciting findings.
An alarming 1 in 4 of will die of cancer, it is the second biggest disease in the US, after heart disease. Over 1.6 million new cases are diagnosed annually. While advances in cancer care have improved outcomes, progress remains slow and treatments for cancer often come with toxic side effects. Dr. Lewis’s company, Ziopharm Oncology, is leading the way in the fight against cancer with science fiction-like biomedical techniques, and aiming to create effective, affordable “off the shelf” treatments that can be used at any cancer center and for any cancer type.
Ziopharm’s research is part of futuristic medical research, a new branch of medicine, known as “synthetic biology”. This uses advanced knowledge of human biology and computer technology, effectively transforming the body’s own immune system into a powerful force against cancer. The cancer-killing cells created are then controlled with a computerized system, RheoSwitch Therapeutic System® RTS®, that can switch the DNA on, off and back on again, to control the level of treatment response.
ABOUT THE WRITER: Dr. Leonaura Rhodes is a freelance writer, author and Health Blogger. She is devoted to bringing the latest information on how to increase health and well being. For more information visit: www.drleonaurarhodes.com