Taking a Shot at Cancer
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Vaccines were created to protect the body against viruses by training the body’s immune system to recognize and destroy foreign invaders. Today, scientists hope to harness that same process and are researching ways to use vaccines to protect the body against itself, such as in the case of cancer. According to the Centers for Disease Control, cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States. Yet, there is no preventative treatment for cancer because the immune system currently cannot identify and destroy all of its own mutated cells before they multiply and spread throughout the body. This is where new vaccine research can fill the gap. Scientists hope to create a vaccine that can train the body’s own immune system to recognize these corrupt cells as if they were foreign viruses. To begin with, one must first understand what cancer is. According to the National Cancer Institute, cancer is a disease that occurs when a person’s cells have a genetic mutation that causes them to grow rapidly and spread to other areas of the body. When a cell divides incorrectly, it can result in errors in the cell’s DNA. DNA can become damaged due to chemicals or ultraviolet light, or the DNA error can be inherited from a person’s parents. The National Cancer Institute also states that cancer is difficult to treat for two main reasons: the immune system does not recognize the cancer cells as dangerous, and cancer is unique to each person. Typically, the immune system destroys cells with errors in its DNA, but some cancer cells are undetectable to the immune system. This is a substantial complication as it allows the cancer to continue spreading uncontrollably. In addition, cancer is different in each person, making it difficult for researchers to create a universal cancer treatment. Despite these challenges, scientists have made breakthroughs in cancer treatment.
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By Sabrina Nadrowski
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