Defeating Cancer with One Injection

The new method is based on injecting a substance into the tumor that stimulates the immune system.

In recent years, scientists searching for effective means to combat cancer have increasingly considered biological methods—those that help the body activate its natural defense mechanisms. For instance, the journal Science Translational Medicine published research data from American scientists at the University of California about a new, progressive way to destroy cancer tumors by injecting drugs that stimulate the immune system into them.

The essence of the method is that a drug composed of two substances is injected directly into the neoplasm. Both agents help immune system cells recognize cancer cells and activate the mechanism to fight them.

Unmasking the Camouflage

The body of even the healthiest person constantly produces cancer cells, but the immune system successfully suppresses their growth and spread. The disease occurs when mutated cells begin to disguise themselves as healthy: T-lymphocytes stop responding to them as pathogenic, allowing cancer cells to grow and divide uncontrollably, spreading throughout the body. Thus, the development of oncopathology occurs due to a malfunction in the immune system when white blood cells lose the ability to recognize cancer cells.

Immunotherapy is a new, modern approach to treating oncopathologies that involves using techniques that help the immune system unmask the camouflage mechanism of cancer cells. Currently, several immunotherapy techniques have been developed to combat various types of cancer. The approach proposed by scientists from the University of California opens new possibilities for immunotherapy for medical professionals.

Currently in the Experimental Stage

At this time, the research has already passed the stage of experiments on mice, and the results have been deemed successful. Moreover, since one of the involved agents has already been approved for use in anti-cancer therapy, and the other is currently undergoing clinical trials for lymphoma treatment, trials of the injection method may be scheduled soon.

Dr. Ronald Levy, who led the research, states that the two-component drug yields high results and contributes to the destruction of cancer cells throughout the body: “The advantage of our method is that it does not require identifying the specificity of each tumor; due to local use, there is no need to activate the immune system of the entire body.”

Advantages of the Method

Dr. Levy, who led the research, is an expert in the application of immunotherapy for treating oncopathologies. In particular, he addresses issues related to lymphoma treatment and ways to stimulate the immune system. The practical experience of the doctor has led him to conclude that while immunotherapy shows high results in cancer treatment, each type has its drawbacks.

For example, some methods require prolonged therapy, and sometimes patients simply do not have time for long treatment. Others are fraught with the development of side effects, while others are too expensive and unaffordable for most patients. The approach proposed by Dr. Levy's team has advantages that other immunotherapy methods lack. Here’s how the researcher describes it: “We inject two substances directly into the tumor. The drug stimulates immune cells located in the neoplasm to recognize cancer cells. Then these immune cells, migrating throughout the body, recognize pathogenic cells and fight metastases throughout the entire organism.”

Universality of the Method

One of the advantages of the method proposed by scientists is its universality. It can be applied to treat different types of cancer. According to Dr. Levy, the drug will “teach” T-lymphocytes in each individual case to fight a specific type of cancer cell.

The studies were conducted on mice. The rodents were given a microdose of the drug locally, at the site of the neoplasm. The drug contained the CpG oligonucleotide, which enhances the synthesis of a protein located on the surface of T-lymphocytes, and an antibody to the receptor of this protein, which activates immune cells. Activated T-lymphocytes penetrate other parts of the body and destroy cancer cells there.

As a result of the drug's application, 87 out of 90 mice infected with lymphoma were reported to be completely cured of cancer. In three remaining rodents, a relapse occurred, but another injection of the drug helped the body overcome the disease.

The effectiveness of the method has also been documented in cases of other oncopathologies, particularly in colorectal cancer, skin cancer, and breast cancer. Moreover, mice genetically predisposed to develop breast cancer showed a positive effect from the treatment.

The Drug Acts Precisely

An interesting effect was observed when two types of tumors—lymphoma and colon cancer—were transplanted into the same rodent. The experiment involved injecting the drug locally in the area of the lymphoma, and it turned out that the drug effectively dealt with cancer cells in the lymph node but had no effect on the cancer in the colon. Scientists concluded that the drug “tunes” T-lymphocytes to fight the specific type of tumor into which the injection was made. “We concluded,” says researcher Dr. Levy, “that our approach has a very targeted action. The target of the damage is only the type of cancer cells that have the same protein as the cells treated with the drug.”

Clinical trials currently underway will provide a precise answer regarding the effectiveness of the new immunotherapy method. The drug is already being tested on patients diagnosed with poorly differentiated lymphomas. Researchers hope that their treatment will help people with various types of cancer.