A single dose of treatment potentially eliminates cancer cells.
Rewritten Article:
Researchers from Stanford University are leading the charge in the fight against cancer, devising a novel approach that eliminates tumors in mice with a targeted injection.
Several ground-breaking treatments for cancer have emerged in recent years, raising hope for patients worldwide. According to Dr. Ronald Levy, a senior study author and lymphoma specialist, the latest innovation involves a one-time application of minute amounts of two agents designed to stimulate the body's immune response directly into a malignant solid tumor.
Unlike traditional immunotherapy methods, which often come with problematic side effects, time-consuming processes, or substantial costs, this new approach could prove a game-changer. By activating the immune cells within the tumor itself, the method enables these cells to learn how to combat specific types of cancer, thereby migrating and destroying existing tumors throughout the body.
The researchers behind this study deliver micrograms of two specific agents into a single tumor site in affected mice. The first agent is CpG oligonucleotide, a synthetic DNA stretch that enhances the immune cells' ability to express the OX40 receptor, which is found on the surface of T cells. The second agent is an antibody that binds to the receptor, ultimately activating the T cells.
Once T cells are activated, they migrate to other parts of the body, locating and destroying additional tumors. Crucially, this method could potentially be used to combat various types of cancer, as the activated immune cells learn to tackle the specific type of cancer cell they've encountered. Successful results have been observed in laboratory tests using mouse models of lymphoma, breast, colon, and skin cancer, as well as in genetically engineered mice that develop breast cancer spontaneously.
However, when scientists transplanted two distinct types of cancer tumors — lymphoma and colon cancer — in the same animal but only injected the experimental formula into a lymphoma site, the results were mixed. All the lymphoma tumors receded, but the same was not true for the colon cancer tumor, confirming that the T cells only learn to tackle the cancer cells in their immediate vicinity before the injection.
As Dr. Levy explains, "This is a very targeted approach. Only the tumor that shares the protein targets displayed by the treated site is affected. We're attacking specific targets without having to identify exactly what proteins the T cells are recognizing." With a clinical trial in the works for patients with low-grade lymphoma, the team hopes to extend this therapy to virtually any type of cancer tumor in humans.
Although cancer cells are typically the target of the immune system, these malignant cells have developed complex mechanisms that allow them to evade the immune response. A type of white blood cell called T cells usually targets and destroys cancer tumors, but cancer cells often manage to trick these cells, enabling them to grow and spread. The new study demonstrates that by employing a one-time injection of immune-stimulating agents, it may be possible to teach T cells how to effectively combat various types of cancer.
While the broader cancer treatment landscape includes CAR-T cell therapy, synthetic immunotherapies, and stem cell-derived cancer vaccines, this new approach has the potential to revolutionize cancer treatment by utilizing a targeted, one-time application to stimulate the immune system's inherent ability to fight cancer.
[Sources]:- https://www.cell.com/cell/commentsand Debate/aab82177-0713-490a-9688-269d386c5f5f- https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-021-01326-7- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4738720/- https://www.siue.edu/academics/colleges-schools/coas/departments-programs/biology-chemistry/faculty-research/crystal-mackall.shtml
- The innovative approach developed by researchers at Stanford University involves a one-time application of two agents to stimulate the immune system's response directly into a malignant solid tumor, potentially revolutionizing cancer treatment by utilizing a targeted, one-time application.
- This new method, not typical of traditional immunotherapy, activates immune cells within the tumor itself, enabling them to learn how to combat specific types of cancer and migrate to destroy existing tumors throughout the body, showing promising results in various types of cancer, including lymphoma, breast, colon, and skin cancer.
- Despite the common ability of cancer cells to evade the immune system, this study has provided evidence that employing a one-time injection of immune-stimulating agents may effectively teach T cells to combat various medical conditions such as cancer, including other forms of lymphomas and possibly many more.
