Killer Assistants

Plant virus and antibodies provided 100% survival in intestinal cancer

Svetlana Maslova, Hi-tech+

Scientists have shown that the combined approach effectively fights colon cancer and prevents relapse. Similar results have been achieved in the treatment of melanoma, so now therapy is considered as a tool against a wide range of oncological diseases.

Researchers from the University of California at San Diego have shown that a combination of cowpea mosaic virus and antibodies eliminated colon tumors in laboratory mice and prevented cancer recurrence, ensuring 100% survival of animals.

The cowpea mosaic virus is used to attract natural killer cells into the tumor microenvironment, and the anti-4-1BB antibody binds to receptors on these cells to bring them out of an immunosuppressive state (usually cancer cells secrete molecules to suppress them).

Together, the plant virus and antibodies not only attract a large number of immune cells to the tumor, but also stimulate their anti-cancer properties.

After the scientists confirmed the 100% survival rate of mice with colon tumors, they re-injected them with cancer cells. All new tumors were eliminated again. "The animals acquired an immunological memory that allowed them to attack cancer on their own," commented co—author Edward Kelhoffer.

Then a similar approach was tested on melanoma models. The mice also showed a decrease in tumor growth and protection from relapse with repeated administration of cancer cells.

Now the authors intend to evaluate the potential of treatment against other types of tumors. It is very likely that therapy can be effective for the treatment of many oncological diseases.

The article by Koellhoffer and Steinmetz Cowpea Mosaic Virus and Natural Killer Cell Agonism for In Situ Cancer Vaccination is published in the journal Nano Letters – VM.

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