A single dose may eradicate cancer cells.
Stanford University researchers have unveiled a novel method for treating various types of cancer by administering a targeted injection of two agents into a tumor site. The agents, a synthetic DNA stretch and an antibody, work together to stimulate the immune system's T cells, teaching them to attack and destroy the specific type of cancer cells in the body.
Experiments on mice have demonstrated promising results, with tumors disappearing across the entire animal after the injection. The method bypasses the need for identifying tumor-specific immune targets and avoids the often problematic side effects, time-consuming procedures, or high costs associated with other immunotherapy methods.
Lead researcher Dr. Ronald Levy, who specializes in immunotherapy for lymphoma treatment, explains that the approach involves a one-time application of minuscule amounts of the two agents to stimulate immune cells within the tumor only. This enables the immune cells to learn how to fight against the specific cancer type, allowing them to migrate and destroy other tumors in the body.
The trial, published in Science Translational Medicine, targeted mouse models of lymphoma, breast, colon, skin cancer, and breast cancer that developed spontaneously. In the majority of cases, the treatment resulted in cancer-free mice, with some tumors recurring but disappearing upon further treatment.
While this method could potentially be used to combat various types of cancer, it only affects tumors that share the protein targets displayed by the treated site. The researchers found that when they transplanted two different types of cancer tumors — lymphoma and colon cancer — in the same animal and injected only the lymphoma site with the experimental formula, the results were mixed. Lymphoma tumors receded, but colon cancer tumors did not.
The team is now preparing a clinical trial to test the effectiveness of this therapy in low-grade lymphoma patients. If successful, they hope to extend this treatment to a wide range of cancer tumors in humans. According to Dr. Levy, "I don't think there's a limit to the type of tumor we could potentially treat, as long as it has been infiltrated by the immune system."
Relevant background information reveals that researchers have been experimenting with various injections and immune stimulation methods to combat cancer, such as single injections for cancer pain treatment and BCG immunotherapy for bladder cancer. However, the specific one-time injection of two agents directly into a tumor, as reported in the study from Stanford University, appears unique in approach and applicability.
- This novel cancer treatment method, developed by Stanford University researchers, not only focuses on lymphomas but also has the potential to impact a variety of other medical-conditions like breast, colon, skin, and even breast cancers.
- The science behind this treatment lies in the combination of a synthetic DNA stretch and an antibody that stimulates the immune system's T cells, helping them to recognize and destroy specific cancer cells in the system.
- The effectiveness of this health-and-wellness approach is not limited by the type of cancer, according to lead researcher Dr. Ronald Levy, as long as the tumor has been infiltrated by the immune system and shares the protein targets recognized by the treatment.
