This type of therapy (engineered cells) has been discussed for a long time but has yet to hit the mainstream. This trial is the first hit at that kind of mainst

This type of therapy (engineered cells) has been discussed for a long time but has yet to hit the mainstream. This trial is the first hit at that kind of mainstream success. The problems with this type of approach are 1. Safety 2. Cost and 3. Target. Gene therapy (and engineered cells) has a long history of deadly accidents. Before we start injecting people with engineered cells we need to be absolutely sure that those cells aren't going to turn into cancer themselves (or who knows what else). Results so far have been promising. This is niche personalized medicine, as a result it is extremely expensive. These cells need to be customized for each patient. However, considering what's at stake, it may be worth the it. As the article states, the target is a problem. Leukemia and Lymphoma are easy targets compared to more truculent solid tumors. For this to cause a revolution in cancer research it needs to be able to address a wider swath of cancers (not just blood cancers). Tl;DR : This is an incremental step along a new path. Another promising tool in growing toolbox.