NPR

Scientists Race To Improve 'Living Drugs' To Fight Cancer

To outwit cancer, researchers are working on better ways to teach patients' immune system to root out and kill malignant cells. A promising approach involves cells that attack cancer two ways at once.
Patient Aaron Reid receives (CAR) T-cell therapy at the NIH in Bethesda, MD. The process took five minutes to complete.

Aaron Reid is lying in a hospital bed at the National Institutes of Health when doctors arrive to make sure he's ready for his experimental treatment.

"How's your night? Any issues?" asks Dr. Katherine Barnett, a pediatric oncologist, as they begin to examine Reid.

Reid, 20, of Lucedale, Miss., has been fighting leukemia ever since he was nine years old. He's been through chemotherapy and radiation twice, a bone marrow transplant and two other treatments.

But the leukemia keeps coming back. This time, the cancer is all over his body. He can feel the pain in his bones. He's here today for what could be his last hope.

"The big plan for the day: Get

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from NPR

NPR2 min read
A Hidden Danger In Gaza; A Haitian Gang Leader Speaks Up
Even if Israel and Gaza agree to a cease-fire, unexploded ordnance could continue to kill and maim Palestinians in Gaza for years. A Haitian gang leader says he's ready for a long fight.
NPR2 min read
Flash Floods Have Killed More Than 300 People In Afghanistan
Floods from heavy seasonal rains have destroyed over 1,000 houses, the U.N. food agency said. A U.N. official said the floods are a reminder of Afghanistan's vulnerability to the climate crisis.
NPR2 min readCrime & Violence
Federal Prosecutors Request 40-year Sentence For Man Who Attacked Pelosi's Husband
Prosecutors are asking a judge to impose a 40-year prison sentence for the man who broke into ex-U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's home seeking to hold her hostage and attacked her husband.

Related Books & Audiobooks