TeachableMedicalNews article 11282021
Teachable moment in classrooms:
- cellular basis of life chapter – mitosis
- cellular basis of life chapter – many types of receptor proteins are located in the cell membrane
- immune system chapter – the roles of white blood cells in immune defense
The news item: Recently the following news report was published:
Immune discovery ‘may treat all cancer’
Research is at an early stage but scientists said it had huge potential for destroying cancers.
The article states that researchers found a new type of T cell that has the potential to attack cancer cells from virtually all regions of the body, and that potential is based on a molecule called MR1.
So, Why Do I Care?? Various types of cancers kill over 600,000 people in the USA. Cancer treatments vary according to the type and stage of the cancer. Any discovery that opens up the possibility of a unified cancer treatment is a reason for renewed hope among current and future cancer patients.
Plain English, Please!!!
First, let’s talk about what cancer is. Our cells have to divide (undergo mitosis) to make new cells for repair or to replace worn out cells. When cell keep on dividing even after the tissue repair or cell