By the end of 2016 marked a major breakthrough in cancer immunotherapy. American scientists have managed to develop an effective antigenic peptide vaccine that completely cured laboratory mice of cancer. On the results, the researchers reported in the journal Nature Materials, says likar.info.
The cancer vaccine develop individually for each patient, determining the nucleotide sequence of the DNA of a malignant tumor and highlighting specific antigens. This method is considered safe and simple, but clinical testing has not previously led to success. The fact that the peptide antigens, and drugs that increase their effect, not penetrate to the lymph nodes, and T-lymphocytes (immune cells) are inactive against malignant cells.
Scientists from the University of Michigan has tried to deliver a vaccine using nanoparticles whose structure resembles a protein-lipid complexes to transport cholesterol in the blood. The experiment was successful: the antigens were in lymphocytes, cytotoxic T-lymphocytes have been activated to recognize and attack the tumor. Immunotherapy has helped to achieve complete resorption of colon cancer in 88% of experimental mice, and malignant melanoma disappeared in 90% of animals. Moreover, re-introduction of cancer cells did not lead to recurrence of tumors that they have developed an immunity.
Before to begin clinical trials of a promising method of treatment, scientists will have to repeat the success of the experiment on larger animals. We will remind that earlier immunotherapy of cancer with genetically modified T lymphocytes has helped to heal dozens of people from malignant tumors not treatable by surgery.
