Scientists have discovered that an attenuated (weakened) virus can help eliminate cancer in mice. In addition, mice that were treated with this virus were more resistant to developing tumors later in life. The attenuated virus works and is safe even in immunosuppressed mice.
Scientists have discovered that an attenuated virus can help eliminate cancer in mice. In addition, mice that were treated with this virus were more resistant to developing tumors later in life. The attenuated virus works and is safe even in immunosuppressed mice. That's a critical finding, as many cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy and other cancer treatments have suppressed immune systems.
The Northwestern scientists showed in multiple tumor models — including melanoma and colon cancer — that injecting tumor-bearing mice with this virus shrank the tumor and increased survival.“LCMV induces a high immune response, but it can cause disease especially in transplant patients,” Penaloza-MacMaster said. “With molecular biology, however, it is possible to weaken this virus and render it attenuated for use as a safe therapy, while still being immunogenic.
This phenomenon might be explained by a poorly understood biological process known as"trained immunity." Trained immunity occurs when a previous infection enhances the immune system's ability to respond to different diseases in the future. For example, studies have shown that children who received the tuberculosis vaccine exhibit improved protection against other microorganisms, not just TB.
The immunosuppressed mice had no T cells, B cells or macrophages . Despite the absence of these crucial immune cells, the virus was able to activate alternative immune pathways to fight the cancer. One way it did this was through interferons — molecules that signal the presence of an intruder and help rally the body's defense mechanisms.
This work was supported by a grant DP2DA051912 from the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health, the American Cancer Society and a pilot grant from the Lurie Cancer Center.
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