What’s the cure outlook for leukemia and lymphoma?
I hesitate to use the word cure, because it can raise unrealistic hopes. These are extremely complex diseases, and with rare exceptions, are not amenable to immediate and complete solutions. One promising area we’ve recently begun to explore with collaborators at other institutions involves investigation of leukemia stem cells. The survival of these cells is believed to be responsible for the failure of current therapeutic strategies. Our premise is that leukemia stem cells may be particularly susceptible to at least some of the novel strategies that we’ve pursued over the last decade. My overall sense is that while cures for these diseases may not be just around the corner, with the new agents entering the therapeutic arena, there will be steady progress toward this goal over the coming years. 6. Have you ever had a Eureka moment? I’ve had many — and then I’ve been brought back to earth by reality. However, I do believe it’s a numbers game; the more things you try, the better the chan
