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'{{Infobox person | name =William Bradley Coley | image = William Coley 1892.jpg | image_size = | caption = | birth_name = | birth_date = {{Birth date|1862|1|12}} | birth_place =[[Westfield, Connecticut]] | death_date = {{Death date and age|1936|4|16|1862|1|12}} | death_place = | death_cause = | resting_place = | resting_place_coordinates = | residence = | nationality = | other_names = | known_for = | education = | employer = | occupation = | title = | salary = | networth = | height = | weight = | term = | predecessor = | successor = | party = | boards = | religion = | spouse = | partner = | children = | parents =Horace Bradley Coley<br>Clarina B. Wakeman | relatives = | signature = | website = | footnotes = }} '''William Bradley Coley''' (January 12, 1862 – April 16, 1936) was an American bone surgeon and [[cancer]] researcher, pioneer of [[cancer immunotherapy]].<ref name=acs/> He developed a treatment based on provoking an [[immune response]] to [[bacteria]]. In 1968 a protein related to his work was identified and called [[tumor necrosis factor-alpha]].<ref>{{cite journal |author=Terlikowski SJ |title=Tumour necrosis factor and cancer treatment: a historical review and perspectives |journal=Rocz. Akad. Med. Bialymst. |volume=46 |issue= |pages=5–18 |year=2001 |pmid=11780579}}</ref> ==Biography== He was born on January 12, 1862 in [[Westfield, Connecticut]] to Horace Bradley Coley and Clarina B. Wakeman. ===Work on cancer and immune response=== {{Main|Coley's toxins}} Coley developed the theory that post-surgical infections had helped patients to recover better from their cancer by provoking an [[immune response]].<ref name=acs>{{cite web |url=http://www.cancer.org/treatment/treatmentsandsideeffects/complementaryandalternativemedicine/pharmacologicalandbiologicaltreatment/coley-toxins |title=Coley Toxins |publisher=[[American Cancer Society]] |accessdate=April 2014 |date=1 November 2008}}</ref> In 1891 he began to experiment by deliberately causing this phenomenon, injecting [[streptococcus]] bacteria directly into people being treated; later because this had the [[adverse effect]] of causing infection, he switched to using dead bacteria.<ref>[https://theconversation.com/viruses-are-highly-evolved-infectious-agents-perfect-to-go-after-cancer-42867 theconversaion.com]</ref><ref name=acs/> Coley published the results of his work as a case series, making it difficult to interpret them with confidence. According to the [[American Cancer Society]], "More research would be needed to determine what benefit, if any, this therapy might have for people with cancer".<ref name=acs/> [[Cancer Research UK]] say that "available scientific evidence does not currently support claims that Coley's toxins can treat or prevent cancer".<ref name=cruk>{{cite web |url=http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/cancer-help/about-cancer/cancer-questions/coleys-toxins-cancer-treatment |title=What is Coley’s toxins treatment for cancer? |publisher=[[Cancer Research UK]] |accessdate=April 2014 |date=22 August 2012}}</ref> People with cancer who take Coley's toxins alongside conventional cancer treatments, or who use it as a substitute for those treatments, risk seriously harming their health.<ref name=cruk/> ===Radiation therapy vs. Coley vaccine=== By 1901, the development of x-rays as a cancer treatment showed great promise. In particular, the therapy resulted in immediate tumor destruction and pain relief. Although Coley claimed successful treatment of hundreds of patients, the absence of proven benefit or reproducibility led to broader emphasis on surgery and on the newly developing field of [[radiation therapy]]. This decision was borne out by the eventual successful treatment of millions of people worldwide with radiation therapy.{{citation needed|date=April 2014}} Coley arranged for a wealthy friend to provide funds to purchase two x-ray machines for his use. However, after several years of experience, Coley came to the conclusion that the effect of that primitive x-ray therapy in the untrained hands of experimenters was localized, temporary and not curative. The scientific majority disagreed, most notably his contemporary [[James Ewing (pathologist)|James Ewing]]. His contemporary critics cited the dangerous and unpredictable effects, predominantly the fever caused by the bacteria, that the vaccine had upon individuals weakened by cancer. Furthermore the vaccine had to be made to a patient's exact needs, making it more labour-intensive, time-consuming and expensive.{{citation needed|date=April 2014}} Coley died on April 16, 1936.<ref>{{cite news |author= |coauthors= |title=Eminent Authority on Cancer and Abdominal Surgery, 74, Won Many Honors |url=http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F60D13F9395D13728DDDAE0994DC405B868FF1D3 |quote=Dr. Coley died early yesterday morning in the Hospital for Ruptured and ... known as the Mixed Toxins of erysipelas and bacillus or Coley's Toxin. was found ... |work=[[New York Times]] |date=April 17, 1936 |accessdate=2010-11-22 }}</ref> ==Legacy== In 2009, Coley's theory that [[immune cycle|immune systems]] in humans functioned in cycles was proven correct by Associate Professor [[Brendon Coventry]], with significant ramifications for immune diseases.<ref>http://www.australasianscience.com.au/article/issue-may-2010/matter-time.html</ref><ref>http://www.biotempus.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Immune-Cycle-CRP.pdf</ref> In 2005, drug makers including [[Pfizer]] and [[Sanofi-Aventis]] had a renewed interest in modern versions of Coley's Toxins;<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/05/business/05toll.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=william%20B%20coley&st=cse New York Times: article on Pfizer and Coley Pharmaceutical Group, 5 October 2005]</ref> Pfizer has acquired the Coley Pharmaceutical Group, set up in 1997.<ref>[http://www.news-medical.net/news/2007/11/19/32636.aspx news-medical.net: Pfizer to acquire Coley Pharmaceutical Group, 19 November 2007]</ref> The historical results of Coley vaccine therapy are difficult to compare with modern results. Coley's studies were not well controlled and factors such as length of treatment and fever level were not adequately documented. Many of his patients had also received radiation and sometimes surgery. According to the analyses of Coley Nauts and Starnes, treatment success correlated with length of therapy and the fevers induced by the toxins.<ref name="Hobohm">Hobohm, Uwe (January - February 2009). "Healing Heat: Harnessing Infection to Fight Cancer" ''American Scientist'' '''97''' (1): 34-41.</ref> Coley's daughter, Helen Coley Nauts, established the nonprofit [[Cancer Research Institute]] in 1953 to study her father's work. The organization has since become a leader in funding research in immunology and tumor immunology at universities and hospitals worldwide. ==See also== * [[William B. Coley Award]] * [[Timeline of immunology]] ==References== {{Research help|Med}} {{reflist|2}} == Further reading == * Decker WK and Safdar S (2009) "Bioimmunoadjuvants for the treatment of neoplastic and infectious diseases: Coley's legacy revisited" Cytokine Growth Factor Rev. 20(4):271-81. * Donald HM. (2003) "Coley" ''Spontaneous Regression: Cancer and the Immune System'' Philadelphia: Xlibris. [http://www.mbvax.com/pdf/Book_Excerpt.pdf] * Hall, Steven S. (1997) ''A Commotion in the Blood''. New York, New York: Henry Holt and Company. ISBN 0-8050-5841-9 * Hess, David J. (1997) ''Can Bacteria Cause Cancer? Politics and Evaluation of Alternative Medicine''. New York, New York: NYU Press. * Hobohm, Uwe (January - February 2009). "Healing Heat: Harnessing Infection to Fight Cancer" ''American Scientist'' '''97''' (1): 34-41.[http://www.americanscientist.org/issues/feature/2009/1/healing-heat] * Hoption Cann SA, van Netten JP, van Netten C. (2003) "Dr William Coley and tumour regression: a place in history or in the future" ''Postgrad Med J'' '''79''' (938): 672–680 [http://www.mbvax.com/pdf/Hoption_Cann_2003.pdf] [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1742910/pdf/v079p00672.pdf] [http://health.toodoc.com/pdf/7861.pdf] * Hoption Cann SA, van Netten JP, van Netten C, Glover DW. (2002) "Spontaneous regression: a hidden treasure buried in time" ''Medical Hypotheses'' '''58''' (2): 115-119 [http://www.mbvax.com/pdf/SRegression.pdf] [http://health.toodoc.com/pdf/7856.pdf] [http://health.toodoc.com/pdf/17043.pdf] * Hoption Cann SA, Gunn HD, van Netten JP, van Netten C. (2004) "Spontaneous regression of pancreatic cancer" ''Case Rep Clin Pract Rev'' 293-296 [http://www.mbvax.com/pdf/Pancreas.pdf] [http://health.toodoc.com/pdf/17043.pdf] * McCarthy, Edward F., MD, "The Toxins of William B. Coley and the Treatment of Bone and Soft-Tissue Sarcomas". Iowa Orthop J. 2006; 26: 154–158. [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1888599/] * Starnes, C. (1992) "Coley's Toxins in Perspective" ''Nature'' '''357''' (6373): 11-12. ==External links== * [http://www.cancerresearch.org/ Cancer Research Institute (CRI)] founded by William Coley's daughter [[Helen Coley Nauts]] * [http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2009/0302/074_cancer_miracles.html/ "Cancer Miracles"] Forbes article * [http://www.cancerresearch.org/pressroom/2009/02/16/forbes-cancer-miracles-a-CRI-success.html CRI Response to Forbes' "Cancer Miracles"] Editorial by Cancer Research Institute executive director Jill O'Donnell-Tormey, Ph.D. * [http://www.coleypharma.com/ Coley Pharmaceutical Group] * [http://www.mbvax.com/ MBVax Bioscience Inc] * {{cite web | url=http://www.damninteresting.com/?p=871 | title=Coley’s Cancer-Killing Concoction | last=Castle | first=Matt | publisher=DamnInteresting.com | date=July 13, 2007 }} {{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Coley, William}} [[Category:Cancer researchers]] [[Category:American physicians]] [[Category:1862 births]] [[Category:1936 deaths]] [[Category:American oncologists]] [[Category:American immunologists]] [[Category:Guggenheim Fellows]]'