Investing In Personalized Cancer Treatment

Cancer researchers have taken a new approach toward combatting the disease in recent years; instead of relying on surgeries or chemical treatments, they are looking to personalized gene therapy to treat certain types of cancer. While the practice hasn't been perfected and only appears to be effective with certain types of cancers, many companies are working to develop new ways to identify and replace or modify abnormal genes. The White House has voiced its support for the advancement of personalized medicine in the coming years, something investors have taken as a sign the field is on the rise.

Several firms are working to develop personalized gene mutation treatments to fight certain forms of cancer.

is one such company which has already created

set to fight certain types of blood cancer. While the drugs are still in the early stages of development, Agios has said it sees potential for using the same drugs to treat some types of brain cancer as well.

is another company working to fight cancer through gene manipulation, only this firm is altering patients' immune systems to recognize cancer cells and kill them. The drugs are still in the

of research and the company's clinical trials have shown that some of the side effects could be dangerous or even fatal, however a phase 1 trial saw 20 of the 22 patients go into remission using the Juno's treatment.

On Tuesday,

that it was partnering with several US and Canadian cancer institutes in order to help identify the best treatment for a cancerous tumor. IBM's Watson computer system will sift through the thousands of available treatments to find the best match based on a specific tumor's characteristics. That process could take weeks for doctors, but the computer system is expected to deliver accurate results within minutes.