New Approach Targets Treatment on Cells Responsible for Disease

Wednesday, March 05, 2003

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Doctors are finding ways to seek out and eliminate specific cells or proteins responsible for disease. This targeted approach to treatment avoids damaging or weakening other healthy cells, according to the March issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter.

New treatments using this approach are already available for rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease (a chronic inflammation of the digestive tract) and some types of cancer. Treatments are being tested or studied for many other diseases including substance abuse, asthma, viral infection, coronary artery disease, sepsis and some cancers.

The method uses monoclonal antibodies, laboratory-made copies of certain proteins secreted by white blood cells. When injected into the bloodstream, monoclonal antibodies seek out cells or proteins that carry a particular protein on their surface. The antibodies bind to these targets and either neutralize the proteins responsible for the disease, or selectively cause the death of the cell carrying the protein by alerting the body's immune system to recognize the cell as a foreign invader.

Mayo Clinic Rochester
Carol Lammers
507-284-5037 (days)
507-284-2511(evenings)
email: newsbureau@mayo.edu

Mayo Clinic Jacksonville
Erik Kaldor
904-953-2299

Mayo Clinic Scottsdale
Anne Tewksbury
480-301-4368

Mayo Clinic Health Letter is an eight-page monthly newsletter of reliable, accurate and practical information on today's health and medical news. To subscribe, please call toll-free 800-333-9037, extension 9PR1.

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