X
theAsianparent Logo
theAsianparent Logo
Product GuideSign in
  • SPF 2023
  • Pregnancy
    • Due date calculator
    • I'm pregnant
    • Trying To Conceive
    • Labour
    • After birth
    • Baby loss
  • Parenting
    • Parent's Guide
    • Relationship & Sex
  • Child
    • Newborn
    • Baby
    • Toddler
    • Pre-Schooler
    • Kid
    • Pre-Teen & Teen
  • Feeding & Nutrition
    • Diseases-Injuries
    • Breastfeeding & Formula
    • Meal Planner
    • Health
    • Allergies & Conditions
    • Vaccinations
  • Education
    • Pre-School
    • Primary School
    • Secondary School
    • Primary School Directory
  • Lifestyle
    • Money
    • Travel & Leisure
    • Fashion
    • Home
    • Fitness
    • Contests & promotions
  • Events
  • Aptamil
    • Immunity
    • Intelligence
  • TAP Recommends
  • Shopping
  • Press Releases
  • Project Sidekicks
  • Community
  • Advertise With Us
  • Contact Us
  • VIP

Young girl's cancer cured by HIV?

3 min read
Young girl's cancer cured by HIV?

7-year-old Emily Whitehead had her cancer 'cured' by a new targeted immune therapy that uses a disabled form of HIV. Find out more about the new treatment that is making waves in the medical and pharmaceutical industry.

cancer treatment

Picture is for illustration purposes only

Cancer – the big C. This disease has claimed the lives of millions and can affect every organ of an individual’s body. Good news is the medical community is making some headway in cancer research. According a The Straits Times report, Emily Whitehead, 7, is the only known child to have beaten back leukaemia after going into remission twice. Her secret? A new treatment that turned her own immune cells into targeted cancer killers.

RELATED: 10 Cancer myths debunked

Famous for being ‘cured’
Whitehead who is part of a US clinical trial, has been in remission for 11 months and is the first paediatric patient showing visible signs of success. Her face is now synonymous with the treatment and its potential, so much so that she has become sort of a celebrity. Her mum, Kari Whitehead, described to AFP, “When we go to places where there are a lot of people, sometimes they want pictures with her, or sometimes just to touch her, so I think it gets a little overwhelming.”

Thankful for the little things
Emily though is thankful especially since she suffered two relapses from conventional treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), the most common form of childhood cancer. She now tries to live very day fully, playing with her dog, write, read and explore the outdoors.

Learn more about Emily and her family here

https://youtu.be/K49Ab7CmoAk

RELATED: Teaching children to be thankful

A new way forward?
The positive signs from Emily and other participants in the clinical trial have prompted the US researchers behind the method to expand their research for a next-generation cancer treatment that may require just one dose in a lifetime as opposed to the continuous doses and rounds of chemotherapy that is the norm now.

Not a ‘cure’…yet
Experts and doctors are wary of dubbing the treatment a ‘cure’ especially since cancer patients are only signed off as illness-free after being their remission passes the five year mark, yet this targeted immune therapy system is already creating buzz in the medical world. According to The Telegraph, researchers were really excited by the treatment which they hope could ultimately replace risky bone marrow transplants.

The treatment
According to Michael Kalos, part of the University of Pennsylvania team of researchers working on the medical project, the treatment works on the principle of taking a patient’s own white blood cells, called T cells, and genetically altering them to allow them to recognise and kill cancer cells.

Kalos told AFP that the concept is not new and “has been around for at least 50 years, and it has been tried in humans for about 20 years in different clinical trials, with limited success mostly because the T cells that were put into patients had a real hard time surviving in patients.”

HIV the key?
The difference this time is researchers have begun using a disabled form of HIV to serve as a vehicle for the gene that needs to enter the T cells to alter it, this ‘vehicle’ has allowed for the genetically modified T cells to survive in the body long enough to eradicate the cancer cells.

RELATED: Baby cured of HIV!

Hopes for the future
The treatment could redefine the cancer treatment terrain especially since every patient would need his or her own specialised treatment as well as added antibody treatments to complement and boost their immune systems. Yet, the future is bright especially if the recent success continues. According to Kalos, a viable treatment could even be on the market within a few years.

[polldaddy poll=6995278]

Partner Stories
Is Your Child’s Tummy Troubles Causing You Sleepless Nights? Lactogen 3 is Your Solution!
Is Your Child’s Tummy Troubles Causing You Sleepless Nights? Lactogen 3 is Your Solution!
Mom to Mom: Caring for your baby's skin naturally while being sustainable
Mom to Mom: Caring for your baby's skin naturally while being sustainable
Parenting Lesson from a New Mum - Don’t Try to Do it All on Your Own!
Parenting Lesson from a New Mum - Don’t Try to Do it All on Your Own!
Celebrity Dad Mark Lee Shares the 3 P's of Raising School Going Children - Parenting Tips, PSLE Preparation & Protecting Your Child’s Eyesight!
Celebrity Dad Mark Lee Shares the 3 P's of Raising School Going Children - Parenting Tips, PSLE Preparation & Protecting Your Child’s Eyesight!

Got a parenting concern? Read articles or ask away and get instant answers on our app. Download theAsianparent Community on iOS or Android now!

img
Written by

Wafa Marican

  • Home
  • /
  • Parent's Guide
  • /
  • Young girl's cancer cured by HIV?
Share:
  • Baby cured of HIV!

    Baby cured of HIV!

  • Two new cancer treatments for adults and paediatric patients approved

    Two new cancer treatments for adults and paediatric patients approved

  • I Try Tracy Lee's Hack for Egg Tarts and It's So Easy That Even Kids Can Make it

    I Try Tracy Lee's Hack for Egg Tarts and It's So Easy That Even Kids Can Make it

  • I Try Tracy Lee's Hack for Egg Tarts and It's So Easy That Even Kids Can Make it

    I Try Tracy Lee's Hack for Egg Tarts and It's So Easy That Even Kids Can Make it

  • Baby cured of HIV!

    Baby cured of HIV!

  • Two new cancer treatments for adults and paediatric patients approved

    Two new cancer treatments for adults and paediatric patients approved

  • I Try Tracy Lee's Hack for Egg Tarts and It's So Easy That Even Kids Can Make it

    I Try Tracy Lee's Hack for Egg Tarts and It's So Easy That Even Kids Can Make it

  • I Try Tracy Lee's Hack for Egg Tarts and It's So Easy That Even Kids Can Make it

    I Try Tracy Lee's Hack for Egg Tarts and It's So Easy That Even Kids Can Make it

Get advice on your pregnancy and growing baby. Sign up for our newsletter
  • Pregnancy
    • Baby
    • Education
    • Events
    • Allergies & Conditions
  • Family Occasions
    • Breastfeeding & Formula
    • Child Safety
    • Health
    • Diseases-Injuries
  • Lifestyle
    • Home
    • Money
    • Feeding & Nutrition
    • Diet & Weightloss
  • Normal Delivery
    • Cesarean Delivery
    • Behaviour
    • Secondary School
    • Formula Feeding
  • Ages & Stages
    • Latching & Concerns
    • Festivals & Holidays
    • Education
    • Pre-teen & Teen
  • More
    • TAP Community
    • Advertise With Us
    • Contact Us
    • Become a Contributor


  • Singapore flag Singapore
  • Thailand flag Thailand
  • Indonesia flag Indonesia
  • Philippines flag Philippines
  • Malaysia flag Malaysia
  • Sri-Lanka flag Sri Lanka
  • India flag India
  • Vietnam flag Vietnam
  • Australia flag Australia
  • Japan flag Japan
  • Nigeria flag Nigeria
  • Kenya flag Kenya
© Copyright theAsianparent 2023. All rights reserved
About Us|Team|Privacy Policy|Terms of Use |Sitemap HTML
  • Tools
  • Articles
  • Feed
  • Poll

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn MoreOk, Got it

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn MoreOk, Got it