Leukemia Treatment Success Story of the Day:

The New York Times reports on William Ludwig, 65, one of the first patients to undergo a new leukemia treatment that turns the body’s own T-cells against the cancer.
The treatment uses a disabled form of HIV-1 to deliver the cancer-fighting gene to the T-cells. As the modified T-cells go to work, they release cytokines, which initially cause severe flu-like symptoms.
That happened to Mr. Ludwig, who became so ill that doctors thought he could die. Just weeks later, though, he was feeling better and his body was free of leukemia. Because the treatment will stay in his body, wiping out good B-cells along with any new cancer, he’ll need an injection of globulin every few months. Other than that, his life has returned to what it was before cancer.
The treatment is still in phase 1, looking for potential dangers to patients — those fevers are a worry, for example — but Dr. June and Mr. Ludwig are certainly happy with the results thus far.