Immunotherapy: Giving the body its due

(Image by Simon Caulton)

Sean Parker, co-founder of Napster, has never been immune to new ideas.  He is currently in the process of launching the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, which aims at curing cancer via the body’s own defense mechanisms.

Since the human body routinely defends itself against all kinds of harmful invaders, why not extend this “courtesy” to cancer?  It is likely that the immune system already fights against fledgling cancers of all kinds; immunotherapy would simply strengthen this ability.  Advanced tumors could then also succumb to the body’s “military” actions.

Parker has already seen success in his partnership with immunotherapist Carl June.  According to The Verge, June was the first to demonstrate the human immune system’s ability to “hunt and kill cancer.”  In 2011, “two of three patients June treated for chronic lymphocytic leukemia…experienced remission.”  June will now be heading Parker’s institute.

Working together, Parker and June hope to “make quicker progress” by translating “laboratory findings into clinical trials.”  This bodes well for those suffering from advanced cancers. 

Whereas chemotherapy and radiation tend to kill many healthy cells, immunotherapy simply maximizes that which God has already put into motion.  Parker seems intuitively drawn to life’s spiritual realms.  He concludes:  Hacker philanthropists… will need to ground themselves in a genuine commitment to serve others and draw from a deeply felt sense of purpose.

Resources

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/sean-parker-is-giving-dollar250-million-to-fight-cancer-with-new-immunotherapy-institute/ar-BBrGVW7?ocid=ansmsnnews11 

Copyright April 14, 2016 by Linda Van Slyke   All Rights Reserved