Teachable moment in classrooms:
- cellular basis of life chapter – DNA specifies protein structure
- blood chapter – role of red bone marrow in hemopoesis
- immune system chapter – development of T and B cells and their role in the immune response
- immune system chapter – structure of antibodies and their binding to specific target molecules
The news item: Recently the following news item appeared online:
Talvey Giving Patients With Heavily Pretreated Multiple Myeloma ‘a New Lease on Life’
The recent FDA approval of Talvey for heavily pretreated multiple myeloma results in an improved response to therapy and a manageable side effect profile.
The report describes that the Talvey treatment is given to multiple myeloma patients whose cancer returned despite several previous treatment with conventional drugs. The report also describes the several side effects of Talvey treatment.
So, Why Do I Care?? Every year multiple myeloma kills over 12,000 people in the USA alone. This type of cancer frequently reappears after conventional cancer treatments, and any new treatment that extends patient life after previous treatments are exhausted, is important to research.
Plain English, Please!!! First, let’s talk about what multiple myeloma is. This disorder represents a cancerous, uncontrolled cell division of plasma cells in the red bone marrow. A plasma cell is a type of white blood cell that produces antibodies during immune response. When the cancerous plasma cells quickly multiply and overtake the red bone marrow, fewer red blood cells and platelets are made, leading to fatigue, tiredness and easy bleeding.
Second, let’s talk about how Talvey works. If we want the immune system to kill cancer cells it would make sense to bring the immune system’s cells right to the cancer cells. Metaphorically speaking, picture