Antibodies are powerful weapons in the fight against cancer, opening up new ways to diagnose and treat the disease, according to a Dublin City University research specialist. Research suggests that the body's own defence system can be used in novel ways.
Details of this important new research emerged yesterday during the annual Irish Times/RDS Science Today demonstration lecture at the RDS in Dublin. Prof Richard O'Kennedy, professor of biological sciences at DCU, provided an engaging and entertaining lecture that explained the inner workings of the body's immune system.
Almost 400 students and members of the public attended the lecture, entitled "Exploiting the Immune System". The lively hour-long presentation captured the audience's imagination and included contributions on stage by some of those attending.
"What we are trying to do is understand the mechanisms of cancer," Prof O'Kennedy told his audience. He described how the disease developed and how the body attempted to defeat it using the immune system.
Antibodies, which can identify and attach to cancer cells and invading organisms, hold much promise in both the diagnosis and treatment of disease, he said. Antibodies can be engineered to carry a range of substances to a tumour site including tagging chemicals to assist diagnosis, chemotherapy drugs and radioactive substances.
The Irish Times/RDS Science Today lectures are intended to help foster a better public understanding of the importance of and contribution made by scientific research to society.
The talks involve leading Irish and international researchers who discuss their work with the public. The presentations usually include a question-and-answer session which contributes greatly to what the audience gets from the lectures.
• "Vaccines - are they good for you?" is the title of the next Irish Times/RDS Science Today lecture which takes place on May 14th at the RDS Concert Hall at 7 p.m. Prof Kingston Mills of Trinity College Dublin will present the latest findings on the safety of human vaccines and the risks they pose. Booking details will be published next Thursday in the Science Today page of The Irish Times.