A group of scientists at the Menzies Health Institute at Griffith University in Queensland, Australia believe they have found a cure for cervical cancer. According to the five-year project, the scientists used gene-editing technology by targeting cervical cancer tumors in mice.
At the end of the study, 100 percent of the test mice had been cured.
“This is the first cure for any cancer using this technology,” said Nigel McMillan, lead researcher and director of immunology at the Menzies Health Institute at Griffith University, in a release.
Scientists would inject additional DNA to stop the gene E7 from being read.
“We would then edit it by introducing some extra DNA that causes the gene to be misread and stop being made,” McMillan added. “This is like adding a few extra letters into a word so the spellchecker doesn’t recognize it anymore. In our study, the treated mice have 100% survival and no tumors. The mice showed no other clinical signs such as inflammation from treatment but there may be other gene changes we haven’t measured yet. “Other cancers can be treated once we know the right genes.”
As the studies into varies types of cancer continue, hopefully researchers and scientists will continue to make giant breakthroughs.