Family Life

10.05.09 | FL News Team

British scientists say they've found a way to "supercharge" the body's immune system to help fight some forms of cancer. The researchers say the new antibody treatment they've developed has shown significant success in treating a form of childhood cancer known as neuroblastoma. So far, all testing has been done in a laboratory setting. But the researchers say they're encouraged after finding up to 60-percent of tumors treated with their supercharged antibodies were destroyed, including aggressive tumors. The findings are scheduled to be presented at the National Cancer Research Institute conference in Birmingham, England, on Monday.

Neuroblastoma is a cancer that affects developing nerve tissue and accounts for 15-percent of all cancer deaths in children. About 60-percent of youngsters with the disease are successfully treated with chemotherapy. For the rest, the researchers hope their discovery will become a new treatment option.