The November 14-18 meeting is being sponsored by the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), the National Cancer Institute (NCI), and the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC).

This press conference features research designed to expand the medical kit now used to treat cancer. Investigators have found that:

Soil-based bacteria that naturally attack cancer cells in order to protect itself could be used as an agent to fight tumors.

Use of electric pulses to force a gene into melanoma tumor cells that then stimulates an immune system attack.

An experimental agent that, for the first time, seems to cross the blood-brain barrier to treat the most dangerous brain tumors, representing a potential treatment for tumors that originate in the brain or metastasize there.

A novel vaccine designed to boost the immune system of pancreatic cancer patients, when used before and after traditional chemotherapy and radiation.

A small soccerball-shaped nanoparticle may sop up dangerous oxygen radicals produced as a result of radiation and chemotherapy treatment, thus protecting normal tissue and reducing side effects.

Bacterial Protein Azurin as a Novel Anticancer Agent (Abstract 3335)

For more than 100 years, scientists have reported that bacterial infections can sometimes elicit remission in certain forms of cancer. Much effort, therefore, has been spent over the years in developing wild-type or modified bacterial and viral strains to treat the disease. But the results have been mixed, due to the significant toxicity associated with giving patients live microbes, which often i
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Contact: Warren R. Froelich
froelich@aacr.org
215-440-9300
American Association for Cancer Research
15-Nov-2005