A novel new cancer treatment developed at Haifa's Technion in Israel has been shown to eliminate or shrink tumors in 100 mice.
The treatment causes anti-viral T cells - white blood cells that play a large role in the body's immune response - to recognize tumors as virus-infected cells, and thus attack them. The Technion Institute of Technology study was published today (Tuesday) in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
"Our approach is to use anti-viral T cells to kill tumors," Dr. Yoram Reiter of the Technion Faculty of Biology explained. "Tumor-specific T cells are very rare and not very efficient. On the other hand, the body has very efficient anti-viral T cells, because throughout our lives we're exposed to many viruses such as influenza. These cells are very efficient at recognizing cells that don't belong."
Dr. Andrew Simpson of the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research in New York lauded the new developments "The approach developed by Dr. Reiter and his colleagues is a significant new approach to cancer immunotherapy,” said Dr. Simpson. “Coupling the specificity of antibody targeting and the selective toxicity of T cells in this way will make it much harder for tumor cells to escape targeting by the immune system."
The team genetically engineered a molecule that is naturally found in the body. On one side of the molecule is an antibody designed to attach itself to a specific type of cancer cell. On the other side, the team placed a molecule called major histocompatability complex (MHC) that allows T cells to recognize if the cells are 'self' or 'foreign.' MHC does this through its peptides, small fragments of protein from cells. T cells survey peptides on MHC molecules to determine whether the cells attached to the MHC molecules are foreign and should be destroyed.
The team places peptides on the molecule that tell T cells that tumors are actually virus-infected cells, so anti-viral T cells now target and kill what they believe to be a virus-infected cell.
This process can be designed for any type of tumor, and to attract any type of anti-viral T cell. Over the past two years, the researchers have conducted test tube and animal experiments, shrinking or eliminating tumors in mice that replicate human cancers such as breast cancer and leukemia.
Reiter cautions that many approaches in cancer research have been successful in mice but do not translate to humans. He remains optimistic, however, and strongly believes the process will not be toxic -- unlike chemotherapy and similar treatments -- since it is based on natural molecules in the immune system and the selective targeting of cancerous cells.
The treatment causes anti-viral T cells - white blood cells that play a large role in the body's immune response - to recognize tumors as virus-infected cells, and thus attack them. The Technion Institute of Technology study was published today (Tuesday) in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
"Our approach is to use anti-viral T cells to kill tumors," Dr. Yoram Reiter of the Technion Faculty of Biology explained. "Tumor-specific T cells are very rare and not very efficient. On the other hand, the body has very efficient anti-viral T cells, because throughout our lives we're exposed to many viruses such as influenza. These cells are very efficient at recognizing cells that don't belong."
Dr. Andrew Simpson of the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research in New York lauded the new developments "The approach developed by Dr. Reiter and his colleagues is a significant new approach to cancer immunotherapy,” said Dr. Simpson. “Coupling the specificity of antibody targeting and the selective toxicity of T cells in this way will make it much harder for tumor cells to escape targeting by the immune system."
The team genetically engineered a molecule that is naturally found in the body. On one side of the molecule is an antibody designed to attach itself to a specific type of cancer cell. On the other side, the team placed a molecule called major histocompatability complex (MHC) that allows T cells to recognize if the cells are 'self' or 'foreign.' MHC does this through its peptides, small fragments of protein from cells. T cells survey peptides on MHC molecules to determine whether the cells attached to the MHC molecules are foreign and should be destroyed.
The team places peptides on the molecule that tell T cells that tumors are actually virus-infected cells, so anti-viral T cells now target and kill what they believe to be a virus-infected cell.
This process can be designed for any type of tumor, and to attract any type of anti-viral T cell. Over the past two years, the researchers have conducted test tube and animal experiments, shrinking or eliminating tumors in mice that replicate human cancers such as breast cancer and leukemia.
Reiter cautions that many approaches in cancer research have been successful in mice but do not translate to humans. He remains optimistic, however, and strongly believes the process will not be toxic -- unlike chemotherapy and similar treatments -- since it is based on natural molecules in the immune system and the selective targeting of cancerous cells.