For those who might be interested in the April 23, 2012 edition of The New Yorker Magazine, Jerome Groopman has written an excellent article on the history and current state of Immunotherapy. The article is entitled “The T-Cell Army” and it is on page 24.

Not only does the article review the history (going all the way back to 1890) of research into immunotherapy, but it brings us to the current status including the recently approved therapy ipilimumab (Yervoy) for Melanoma. Currently, ipilimumab is in phase 3 trials for advanced prostate cancer which is hormone refractory.

Grooopman’s article is written for the non-scientist so anyone will easily understand it. It explains why immunotherapy has been lagging in research and why now it has finally become a “hot” topic for research. Immunotherapy is the personification of personalized medicine and personalized medicine will be the future of cancer research and cancer treatment.

A brief podcast about this article is available – Go to 7:20 of the podcast at:
Click here: The Immune System Strikes Back: A Podcast with Jerome Groopman : The New Yorker

Joel T Nowak, M.A., M.S.W.