A single dosage may potentially eradicate cancer cells.
Researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine have developed a targeted injection that successfully eliminates tumors in mice, offering a potential breakthrough in cancer treatment.
The innovative approach involves the use of "minute" amounts of two agents that stimulate the immune response directly within a malignant solid tumor. According to senior study author Dr. Ronald Levy, this method has already resulted in the elimination of tumors across the body in mice.
Dr. Levy specializes in immunotherapy, a type of treatment that enhances the body's immune response to target cancer cells. This new method, he explains, uses a one-time application of small amounts of two agents to stimulate immune cells within the tumor site, effectively teaching them to fight against a specific type of cancer.
This targeted approach could potentially be used to treat a variety of different cancers, as the immune cells would learn to deal with the specific type of cancer cell they have been exposed to. Initial studies in mice have demonstrated success in fighting lymphoma, breast, colon, and skin cancer, among others.
The agents used in the study were CpG oligonucleotide, a synthetic DNA that boosts the immune cells' ability to express a receptor, and an antibody that activates T cells. Once activated, these T cells migrate to other parts of the body, destroying additional tumors.
One of the key benefits of this method is its potential to avoid problematic side effects, time-consuming treatments, or high costs associated with other forms of immunotherapy. Moreover, one of the agents used in the treatment has already been approved for use in human therapy, while the other is under clinical trial for lymphoma treatment.
The researchers note that this method only affects tumors that share the protein targets displayed by the treated site. However, they believe that this targeted approach offers a significant advantage, as it focuses on attacking specific targets without having to identify exactly what proteins the T cells are recognizing.
The study was published yesterday in the journal Science Translational Medicine. The team is now preparing a clinical trial to test the effectiveness of this treatment in people with low-grade lymphoma, with hopes of extending this therapy to a wide range of cancer tumors in humans.
In recent years, numerous studies have explored various approaches to more effective cancer treatments, including using nanotechnology, engineering microbes, and starving malignant tumors. This latest study adds to the growing body of research offering new hope in the fight against cancer.
This new immunotherapy method developed by researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine, as detailed in the journal Science Translational Medicine, utilizes CpG oligonucleotide and an antibody to stimulate immune cells within malignant solid tumors. This stimulation educates immune cells to fight against specific types of cancer, demonstrating success in fighting lymphoma, breast, colon, and skin cancer among others in initial mouse studies.
The targeted approach could be potentially applicable to other medical conditions like cance, with the aim of avoiding side effects, time-consuming treatments, or high costs associated with other forms of immunotherapy. It is worth noting that one of the agents used in the treatment has already been approved for human therapy, while the other is under clinical trial for lymphoma treatment.
With the progression of this research, the team is now preparing a clinical trial to test the effectiveness of this treatment in people with low-grade lymphoma. The ultimate goal is to extend this therapy to a wide range of cancer tumors in humans, contributing to the ongoing effort in health-and-wellness and cancer treatment.
The researchers believe that this targeted approach offers a significant advantage by focusing on attacking specific targets without having to identify exactly what proteins the T cells are recognizing. This method joins the growing body of research in the science of cancer and immune system, offering new hope in the fight against otherly lymphomas and multiple medical-conditions.
