Kill the tumor with triple antibodies

A new cancer treatment using antibodies has proved unprecedented success in mice. Not only did they kill tumors - even if they metastasized - but it also prevented them from growing back. Moreover, therapy can be applied to many types of tumors.

Lymphocytes (Photo: kolonpharm)

The idea of ​​using the body's immune system to kill cancer cells has long been known. Our immune system contains white blood cells called T lymphocytes, which seek and destroy cancer cells. But the body's natural response to tumor cells is often not strong enough to destroy the mass.

New therapies by Australian and Japanese researchers called TrimAb (combining three single antibodies) can solve this problem.

Mark Smyth's team, from the Peter MacCallum Cancer Center in Australia and Kazuyoshi Takeda, from Juntendo Medical University in Japan used a mixture of three different antibodies.

The first type directly attacks the tumor, by activating the receptor for receiving a deadly protein on cancer cells. Supporting it are two other antibodies, which activate T cells to attack the tumor.

TrimAb therapy cleared large breast tumors in 80% of experimental mice. Meanwhile, if only one single or two-type antibody is received, less than 30% of mice with tumors disappear. In addition, this therapy is a radical treatment for 60% of mice whose breast tumors have spread to the lungs, liver and brain.

Smyth explained that TrimAb therapy caused T cells to create an immune molecule called interferon gamma."It is this molecule that is the key to destroying tumors." In case only one or two antibodies are used, the immune molecule is not formed.

TrimAb is not only specialized for breast cancer. Smyth said that it is also effective for kidney cancer and cystoma.

The combination of these three antibodies has never been used to treat cancer in patients, Smyth said. Although this combination is not toxic to mice, tests should be performed on humans to confirm safety.

T. An