Health

Cancer vaccines found to be effective, safe to kill and prevent brain cancer

Dual-acting cell therapies are designed to eliminate established tumors and train the immune system to eradicate the primary tumor and prevent recurrence.

A study investigating new ways to turn cancer cells into anticancer drugs using an advanced mouse model targeting glioblastoma has produced promising results, according to a study published in . Science Translational MedicineDuring the study, researchers evaluated vaccines designed to eliminate tumors and induce long-term immunity by training the immune system to identify and eradicate tumors and prevent their subsequent recurrence. did.

“Our team pursued a simple idea: to take cancer cells and transform them into cancer cells and vaccines,” says the Center for Stem Cell and Translational Immunotherapy. Study co-author Dr. Khalid Shah, director and vice-chair of the study, said.in the neurosurgery y “We are using genetic engineering to repurpose cancer cells to develop therapies that kill tumor cells, stimulate the immune system to destroy primary tumors, and prevent cancer.”

Cancer vaccine research is an area of focus for many labs, but the approach taken by Shah and his study co-authors explores uncharted territory. Previous and concurrent cancer vaccine research efforts have used inactivated tumor cells. However, in this study, the team used live tumor cells with unique characteristics. Tumors residing in the brain are known to migrate long distances back to the site of fellow tumor cells.

Taking advantage of this unique property, researchers engineered living tumor cells using the gene-editing tool CRISPR-Cas9 and reused them to release tumor cell-killing agents. In addition, tumor cells are engineered to express factors that help the immune system find, tag, and remember them effectively. This allows the immune system to mount a long-lasting anti-tumor response.

In a variety of mouse strains, researchers tested CRISPR-Cas9-developed therapeutic tumor cells (ThTC) using human-derived bone marrow, liver, and thymocytes to mimic the human immune microenvironment. did. Just in case something goes wrong, the researchers also built into her ThTC a two-layer safety switch that can be activated to eradicate her ThTC if necessary.

However, during the current study, the vaccine demonstrated efficacy and safety in a mouse model, paving the way for future research. He pointed out that such research would be easier because the findings could be easily translated into the patient environment.

“Our goal is to take an innovative yet translatable approach that will ultimately allow us to develop therapeutic cancer-killing vaccines that will have a lasting impact on medicine.” Shah said in a press release.

Based on their findings, the investigators found this therapeutic strategy to be applicable to a broad range of solid tumors beyond glioblastoma, explaining that further investigation of potential applications is warranted. Did.

reference

Scientists develop cancer vaccine to simultaneously kill and prevent brain tumors [Email]Brigham and Women’s Hospital; January 3, 2023. Accessed January 3, 2023.

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Cancer vaccines found to be effective, safe to kill and prevent brain cancer