What is happening in the fight against cancer? This question is dedicated to the title topic of the August edition of BILD of science. In addition to researching the development processes, the focus is on modern weapons in the fight against tumor diseases. In particular, immunotherapies give hope for more treatment success – but they are obviously not a panacea. It is also about the role of the intestinal microbioma in the development of cancer and the effectiveness of therapies.
Once there was often not much hope during the diagnosis of cancer – but that has now changed: many of the diseases can be treated successfully, especially if they are discovered early. Unfortunately, this is not always the case and some types of cancer are still a major challenge for modern medicine. That is why research is still being carried out intensively: All over the world, scientists are working to further clarify the basics of the development of cancer and to develop new treatment options.
In the first article of the three-part title of “Cancer in focus”, BDW author Claudia Eberhard-Metzger initially presented what researchers have already found out about the properties of tumor cells. In the past few decades, they have gained more and more insights into which mutations in the genome lead to the fact that the cancer cells can share uncontrollably and thus develop their malignant potential. The findings of the sometimes refined skills of such cells are important in order to find starting points for the development of new therapies. However, there are still many questions about the multi -layered events open to the creation of cancer, writes the author in the article “Egoist loner”.
Of immunotherapy and intestinal bacteria
The BDW author Susanne Donner then focuses on the current treatment options for tumor diseases and the current development trends. In addition to surgery, radiation and chemotherapy, immunotherapy has developed into a further size in the fight against cancer. With this form of treatment, the patient’s own immune system is mobilized against the malignant tissue. In some cases, this works astonishingly well, but unfortunately the effect often fails. Donner reports on the background of this failure and how researchers work on optimizing the procedure and on treatment options for particularly stubborn forms of cancer. Apparently there is still a lot of potential in immunotherapy and emerges from the article “Body defense against cancer”.
This article is rounded off by an interview that Susanne Donner led with the pharmacy professor Theo Dingermann from the Goethe University Frankfurt am Main. Accordingly, the first vaccinations could be possible in 2026 to immunize the sick person against their personal cancer type. The expert explains why the concept has little to do with the popular vaccination of healthy people and why there will be no preventive anti-cancer injection for everyone.
In the third part of the title theme, BDW author Cindy Hempp illuminates, which is known about the role of intestinal microbioma as part of cancer diseases and therapies. Current studies therefore show that the composition of the bacterial societies in the human body is of considerable importance. In the targeted influence of our microbial residents, there could also be great potential for the favorable influence of cancer risks and treatment successes, emerges from the article “Bacteria in cancer therapy”.
You can read the articles of the title theme “Cancer in focus” online as part of a BDW+ subscription, or you will find in the August edition of BILD of science, which is available in stores from July 18.
