Saima Sidik in Nature:
Scientists have disguised tumours to ‘look’ similar to pig organs ― tricking the immune system into attacking the cancerous cells. This ruse can halt a tumour’s growth and even eliminate it altogether, data from monkeys and humans suggest. But scientists say that further testing is needed before the technique’s true efficacy becomes clear. It’s “early days” for this novel approach, says immuno-oncologist Brian Lichty at McMaster University in Hamilton, Canada. “I hope it stands up to further clinical testing,” he adds. The work is described today in Cell1.
Viral trickery
To devise a strategy against cancer, the authors took a cue from a challenge facing people who receive organ transplants: the human immune system recognizes transplanted organs as foreign objects and tries to eliminate them. This challenge is especially acute for transplanted pig organs, which could supplement the supply of donated human livers, kidneys and more. But human antibodies immediately attach to sugars that stud the surfaces of pig cells, leading to rapid rejection of the transplanted tissue. (Pig organs transplanted into humans are bioengineered to forestall the antibody response.) Immunologist and surgeon Yongxiang Zhao at Guangxi Medical University in Nanning, China, wondered whether he could harness this runaway immune response and direct it against tumours.
More here.
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