Show Notes
Research scientists are equipping a vaccine with bits of proteins that redirect the immune system's efforts to specifically fight cancer. The vaccine aims to prevent cancer tumors from returning, as relapsing cancer is often more aggressive and difficult to treat. The latest research also seeks to understand why some cancer tumors evade the body's immune response. Featured experts are Dr. Keith Knutson, Immunologist and Cancer Vaccine Researcher at Mayo Clinic; Dr. Saranya Chumsri, Hematologist at Mayo Clinic; and Dr. Nora Disis, Director of the Institute of Translational Health Science and the Center for Translational Medicine in Women’s Health at University of Washington.
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What if the milk you are drinking could help fight cancer? In this episode of Tomorrow's Cure, we explore cholangiocarcinoma and a surprising new approach to targeting it using milk‑derived nanoparticles and precision aptamer‑based delivery. Host Lindsey Seavert is joined by surgical oncologist Dr. Rory Smoot and long‑term survivor and advocate Melinda Bachini to unpack why this cancer is so challenging, what symptoms and treatment paths patients typically face, and how emerging gene‑delivery platforms and AI‑driven discovery are opening new possibilities when standard therapies fall short. Through Melinda’s 16‑year survivorship story and Dr. Smoot’s lab work that literally starts with skim milk from the Mayo Clinic cafeteria, listeners hear how “chemical antibodies” called aptamers can act as molecular keys to deliver therapy directly to cholangiocarcinoma cells, and how computational tools are accelerating the search for new targets. Together, they discuss the emotional and practical realities of living at the edge of what medicine can do today, the expanding landscape of clinical trials, and why innovation in this rare cancer may ripple out to colon, lung and other hard‑to‑treat tumors.