Avoiding, Treating & Curing Cancer With the Immune System | Dr. Alex Marson
In a Nutshell
Dr. Alex Marson explains the immune system's innate and adaptive arms (T cells, B cells) and breakthroughs like CAR-T cells—genetically engineered T cells using CRISPR to target and cure blood cancers like leukemia—and checkpoint inhibitors that unleash T cells against solid tumors like melanoma. Key cancer risks include smoking, UV exposure, charred meats, pesticides, and BRCA mutations; prevention emphasizes minimizing mutagens, while future therapies aim for preventive supercharged T cells and in vivo editing via lipid nanoparticles. CRISPR enables precise gene edits for immunotherapy, autoimmunity (e.g., lupus), and beyond, marking a paradigm shift from chemotherapy to programmable cells, with ethical limits on germline editing.
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Avoiding, Treating & Curing Cancer With the Immune System | Dr. Alex Marson
We're living in this amazing moment of biology where we can put a gene that encodes something on the surface of T cells that will make them programmed to search and destroy for cancer cells. This is largely known as CAR T cells, chimeric antigen receptor. This is a receptor that was designed in a lab does not exist in nature. When those T cells get reinfused into a patient the way that you get like a blood transfusion, those CARs are directed to go against cancers.
Welcome to the Huberman Lab podcast, where we discuss science and science-based tools for everyday life. I'm Andrew Huberman and I'm a professor of neurobiology and ophthalmology at Stanford School of Medicine. My guest today is Dr. Alex Marson. Dr. Alex Marson is a medical doctor and scientist at the University of California, San Francisco. He is developing new ways to reprogram the immune system to cure cancers.
Today we discuss how your immune system works, how autoimmunity works, and how gene editing and other new technologies can be successfully leveraged to defeat childhood and adult cancers. Dr. Marson is truly one of a kind in his understanding of the clinical aspects of cancer treatment, the science of the immune system, and in explaining the things that genuinely increase your cancer risk, many of which are surprising, and the actionable steps that we can all take to reduce our probability of getting cancer. In addition to the usual factors, smoking, UV light, and environmental toxins such as pesticides, we discuss the actual cancer risks that come from things like eating charred meats, airport scanners, and food additives, and how to gauge your individual level of risk. We also explore gene editing for reversing diseases, which until recently was science fiction, but now is a reality. By the end of today's episode, thanks to Dr. Marson, you'll have the most up-to-date understanding of the state-of-the-art science for cancer prevention and treatment. Knowledge that is certain to impact you or a close friend or family member in your lifetime.
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