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Start Discover Multimedia Avatar mice: a revolution against cancer?
06 September 2016

Avatar mice: a revolution against cancer?

Avatar mice represent new hope in the fight against cancer. They are the key element of an experimental method used to identify the best possible chemotherapy for a specific cancer patient. The preliminary studies, carried out by Dr. Manuel Hidalgo at the National Center for Oncological Research (CNIO) in Madrid, have shown therapeutic benefits in people with pancreatic cancer, which was incurable and is now closer to becoming a chronic disease . Avatar mice, immunosuppressed, carry a replica of a patient's tumor. The tumor grows in conditions similar to those of the patient's body, so researchers can try different medications to discover which is the best choice for this particular person. The future of this technology is boiling: Is it a real revolution against incurable tumors? Will it become a universal practice to treat all cancer patients?