The DNA found in every living cell is the key to such diagnostics. The MAb rushes to the abnormality it was designed to complement, if one is present. It permits the detection of genetic abnormalities associated with certain types of leukemias and lymphomas. Comparable tests are being devised to work in the patient's body, using safe levels of radioactivity or non-radioactive markers. Biotech may be able to help diagnose colon cancer earlier.
Colon cancer is a good example of a cancer readily treatable if detected in time.
Early detection can reduce this toll. Once inside the body, barium usually highlights any tumors on an x-ray. A more precise method is under investigation. By cloning the antibodies the immune system generates specifically to combat colon cancer, then injecting them into the body, investigators hope to follow them as they rush directly to the cancer site. Because these MAb's are engineered to seek only colon cancer cells, they pass harmlessly from the body if none are present.