>>> WE TALKED ABOUT HOW THE DEATH RATE IS DECLINING. THEY SHOW THERE ARE MULTIPLE
CONTRIBUTING FACTORS AND AN
IMPORTANT ONE IS THE RESEARCH
AND STREEMENT BEING USED --
TREATMENT BEING USED FOR
LONG-TERM SURVIVAL FOR
PATIENTS.
>> AND THEY ARE LEADING THE
FIGHT AGAINST BRAIN CANCER.
MUCH OF THEIR SUPPORT IS BEING
PROVIDED BY A WELL-KNOWN
PHILANTHROPIST.
AND JOINING US TO TALK ABOUT
HOW THE HEALTH-LEAD REMISSION
SUMMIT IS GETTING RESULTS.
THANK YOU DOCTOR MITCHELL FOR
JOINING US FOR THIS -- BEFORE
THIS SUMMIT.
TELL US ABOUT THE RESEARCH AND
HOW IT IS GETTING RESULTS.
>> SURE.
GOOD MORNING AND THANK YOU FOR
THE INVITATION.
WE HAVE BEEN WORKING FOR SOME
TIME AT THE UNIVERSITY OF
FLORIDA IN DEVELOPING A NEW
FORM OF TREATMENT FOR BRAIN
CANCER THAT ENLISTS PATIENTS’S
OWN IMMUNE SYSTEM IN FIGHTING
CANCER.
IT WILL CONVENE SOME OF THE
LEADING EXPERTS IN PEDIATRIC
AND ADULT BRAIN TUMOR
TREATMENT AND RESEARCH TO
COLLECTIVELY WORK TOGETHER TO
DISCUSS HOW WE CAN PUSH
FORWARD ADVANCES IN THIS
FIELD, AND MORE IMPORTANTLY,
WHERE ARE THE AREAS WE CAN
COLLABORATE OUR OWN EXPERTISE
TO ACCELERATE THE PACE OF
DISCOVERY.
>> WHAT HAVE BEEN SOME OF THE
MOST ENCOURAGING
DEVELOPMENTS?
>> THERE HAS BEEN A RAPID PACE
OF UNDERSTANDING WHAT MAKES
CANCER CELLS UNIQUE AND HOW DO
THEY FAIL TO RECOGNIZE THE
TUMOR CELLS AS FOREIGN.
USING THE POWER OF GENETICS
AND OUR UNDERSTANDING OF
BIOLOGY, WE NOW HAVE THE
ABILITY TO SPECIFICALLY
ACTIVATE A PATIENT’S OWN
IMMUNE SYSTEM AND ELICIT A
RESPONSE LIKE YOUR IMMUNE
SYSTEM RESPONDS INFECTION.
IT IS THE PATIENT’S OWN
DEFENSES BEING THE MOST
POWERFUL WEAPON IN FIGHTING
AGGRESSIVE CANCERS.
>> ONE OF THE THINGS THAT
SURPRISES ME WHEN I TALK TO
NEUROSURGEONS AND OTHERS IS
HOW PEDIATRICS ARE DIFFERENT.
>> WE SEEN BRAIN TUMORS ARRIVE
IN CHILDREN AND ADULTS AND
ALTHOUGH THEY LOOK SIMILAR
UNDER THE MICROSCOPE AND BE
GIVEN THE SAME NAME IN TERMS
OF PATHOLOGY, WE KNOW THE
BIOLOGY OF THE TUMORS THAT
ARISE IN CHILDREN IS DIFFERENT
FROM THAT THAT ARISE IN
ADULTS.
WE NEED TREATMENTS THAT ARE
NOT JUST DIRECTED AT CANCER IN
GENERAL, BUT ARE SPECIFIC FOR
THE TYPES OF CANCER THAT WE
ARE ATTEMPTING TO SHRINK.
>> WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THESE,
THERE ARE SO MANY DIFFERENT
TYPES OF BRAIN TUMORS AS WELL,
RIGHT?
>> YES.
TUMORS CAN ARISE IN MANY CELL
TYPES IN THE BRAIN AND MANY
LOCATIONS.
DEPENDING ON THE TYPES OF
CANCER AND THE TREATMENT THAT
CAN BE EFFECTIVE CAN BE
DIFFERENT.
AND CANCERS THAT ARISE OUTSIDE
THE BRAIN CAN SPREAD TO THE
CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM AND
THEREFORE GROW IN THE BRAIN
EVEN THOUGH THEY ORIGINATED
ELSEWHERE.
AND THESE CANCERS REQUIRE A
DIFFERENT APPROACH.
THEY HAVE A DIFFERENT
BIOLOGY.
ONE OF THE THINGS WE ARE
FOCUSED ON IS ARE THERE COMMON
THEMES THE SYSTEM CAN HONE IN
ON, EVEN WITH A VARIETY OF
CANCERS,ING AND CAN TAKE A
VARIETY OF APPROACHES.
>> I’M SURE YOU SEE A LOT OF
BRIGHT MINDS HERE IN FLORIDA
WHO ARE TRYING TO FIND A
CURE.
THEY MAY HAVE FAMILY MEMBERS
OR PEOPLE THAT ARE CLOSE TO
THEM WHO ARE KIND OF GIVING
THEM THAT PUSH AND MAKING THEM
WANT TO STUDY THAT.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> ONE OF THE KEYS TO MAKING
THESE ADVANCEMENTS HAS BEEN A
PARTNERSHIP WITH THE COMMUNITY
OF PEOPLE WHO ARE REALLY
ENGAGED AND CONCERNED ABOUT
BRAIN CANCER AND CANCER IN
GENERAL THROUGH THE GENEROSITY
THROUGH HARRIS ROSEN AND HIS
COLLEAGUES.
HE UNFORTUNATELY LOST HIS SON
TO BRAIN CANCER A FEW YEARS
AGO.
WE HAVE BEEN CAPITALIZED BY
THEIR SPORT TO BRING TOGETHER
THE EXPERTS FROM THROUGHOUT
THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA
TO WORK IN CONCERT AGAINST
THIS VERY DEADLY DISEASE.
>> THERE IS THE SAME EFFORT IN
SCIENTISTS AND PHILANTHROPISTS
AND THE BRAVE SOULS DOING THE
TRIALS.
>> THE ADVANCES NEVER COME AS
FAST AS WE WOULD LIKE,
PARTICULARLY FOR PATIENTS AND
FAMILIES WHO ARE BATTLING THIS
DISEASE TODAY.
BUT WE ALSO KNOW THAT IT IS
THROUGH THESE EFFORTS, THE
COLLABORATION WITH THE
COMMUNITY AND INVESTIGATORS
AND PHILANTHROPISTS THAT WE
HAVE MADE ADVANCES, AND WE
REALLY FEEL WE ARE AT A
TIPPING POINT AND OVER THE
NEXT FIVE TO 10 YEARS WE WILL
SEE SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE QUALITY OF LIFE AND
TREATMENT FOR PATIENTS WITH
BRAIN CANCER.
>> HOW CAN PEOPLE GET
INVOLVED?
IF THEY ARE REALLY WILLING TO
BE INVOLVED IN ONE OF THESE
TESTS CAN THEY CONTACT YOUR
TEAM?
DO THEY HAVE TO TRAVEL?
WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE?
>> MUCH OF THE RESEARCH WE ARE
DOING DOES INVOLVE PATIENTS
WITH BRAIN CANCER AND THEY ARE
SEEKING TREATMENTS OR OPTIONS
ABOVE WHAT IS AVAILABLE.
THAT WOULD BE ENROLLING IN A
HI CONTRIBUTING IN OUR BASIC UNDERSTANDING OF HOW
THE IMMUNE SYSTEM WORKS. THERE ARE VOLUNTEER PROTOCOLS
OR STUDIES THAT PEOPLE CAN
PARTICIPATE IN, AND THEY CAN
CONTACT THE UNIVERSITY OF
FLORIDA AND ASK FOR
INFORMATION ABOUT THE CLINICAL
TRIALS.
THEY CAN CONTACT THE
DEPARTMENT OF NEUROSURGEON --
NEUROSURGEON REOR THEY HAVE
THE -- INURE RESURGERY --
NEUROSURGEON RE.
>> GREAT UP DAY.