A new molecule can offer hope for cancer treatment, can reduce the future risks of the disease

WASHINGTON DC: A research team discovered that an immune molecule developed for cancer immunotherapy also protected against the future development of multiple types of cancer once administered by itself.

The study, conducted at the University of Louisville, was published in the journal Cancer Research.

Previous studies have shown that the SA-4-1BBL recombinant protein molecule improves the therapeutic efficacy of cancer vaccines successfully in preclinical animal models. It does this by enhancing the effectiveness of CD8 + T cells, adaptive immune cells formed to target the tumor for destruction.

Surprisingly, when the researchers treated SA-4-1BBL alone with healthy normal mice, they were protected when the researchers then exposed them to different types of tumor cells.

Speaking of which, senior author Haval Shirwan said, "The novelty we report is the ability of this molecule to generate an immune response that patrols the body to detect the presence of rare tumor cells and eliminate cancer." before it settles in the body. "

Shirwan added that in general, the immune system will have to be exposed to the tumor, recognize the tumor as dangerous, and then generate an adaptive and tumor-specific response to eliminate the tumor that it recognizes.

Shirwan added that the discovery is very surprising because the immune system has not seen a tumor, so the answer is not to the presence of a tumor.

According to the researchers, the molecule generates a system for immune monitoring of the tumor by activating CD4 + T cells and innate NK cells, thus protecting mice against various types of cancer that they do not have. have never had.

This function is an indication of the effectiveness of the molecule in cancer immunoprevention.

The study showed that mice never having cancer were treated only with SA-4-1BBL. They were then challenged with tumor cells of cervical cancer and lung at different time intervals.

The mice showed significant protection against tumor development, with the greatest protection when tested two weeks after SA-4-1BBL treatment. The cancer prevention effect of cancer generated by SA-4-1BBL lasted more than eight weeks.

Additional tests showed that CD8 + T cells were not needed for protection, but when CD4 + T and NK cells were removed, protection failed, indicating that both types of cells were needed for get the desired effect. The lack of need for CD8 + T cells indicates that the process is not a conventional acquired immunity.

"We are very excited about the cancer immuno-prevention possibilities offered by this molecule, its effectiveness is not specific to the tumor and, as a natural ligand, it does not cause toxicity, unlike 4-1BB anti-agonist antibodies.Furthermore, the fear of autoimmunity our data, it is very minimized because it activates the innate immune cells, "said the co-author of the study, Esma Yolcu.

Shirwan and Yolcu plan to perform further tests on SA-4-1BBL as part of cancer immuno-prevention.