The blue-green cells are actively growing, whereas the pink ones are in the process of dying by programmed cell death. The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday approved its first-ever cancer vaccine, ushering in a new era of cancer treatments. Named Provenge, the drug targets prostate cancer; in clinical trials, it extended the lives of patients about four months compared with a placebo. It’s not a cure, nor is it a preventative vaccine like those administered for measles, hepatitis or, more recently, cervical cancer. But it is a therapeutic vaccine, meaning it boosts the patient’s own immune system. It is used after prostate cancer has already been diagnosed. (via Popular Science)
