Dr. Aljitawi: Yes. How? There are two steps. The first step is by culturing own patient’s cells in this matrix, we’ll be able to understand them better in a model that reflects how these cells interact with the extracellular matrix in the human body.
By understanding them better, we’ll be able to figure out how these cells survive. Unless we know that, we can’t come at it by finding drugs that target that particular target.
And once we do that, we’ll be able to get rid of this leukemia. And if we do, then potentially all patients can be cured from leukemia.
What’s very interesting about leukemia is that some patients would have certain targets initially, once you’ve treated them when it comes back, other targets come up. But being able to identify those targets along the way, you can always come at it from a different angle and get rid of it. What’s really interesting is about leukemia.
So instead of using generic to chemotherapy for everyone, we start moving an inch closer to what actually is important for each particular patient.
That’s what I call also targeted therapy. So you’re targeting the cancer cells based on certain targets that you identified in the lab.
What that means is that you get closer to the response that you’re looking for. And in leukemia, if you target leukemia stem cells, you can also even potentially cure the leukemia.
So the goal, eventually, will be actually making all patients with leukemia potentially cured.
