A kind of antibody has been developed to preferentially attact cancer cells

Recently, a team of researchers from Duke University developed an antibody from body’s own immune system and it may preferentially attack cancer cells. Such antibodies play a role by making use of a natural defense mechanism by targeted cancer cells.

The nature of cells in the body use the kind of family security system, which relies on certain cell surface proteins to protect and maintain its security. These proteins help cells avoid unwanted activation of the immune system caused by the injury and even death. The paper was published in the journal Cell Reports on May 5, 2016. The research team at Duke University have developed an antibody, and in cell lines and animal models have conducted tests and found that the anti-cancer mode of action of the antibody. Such antibodies can be removed a part of a cancer cell specific defense system, and attack using several mechanisms.

Senior author of this article, and the Department of Cancer Biology, Dr. Edward F. Patz pharmacology professor at Duke University and Alice Chen pointed out that “this is the first entirely from the human antibody being developed as anti-cancer treatment, which is very different from other immunotherapeutic approaches. “

Patz and his colleagues — including the director of the Human Vaccine Institute at Duke University, he has been promoting the development of HIV vaccines antibodies observed at the beginning, some of the early lung cancer patients never progress to advanced disease. These patients with those of patients with tumors more deadly to a separate feature is the presence of a protein (called complement factor H, referred to CFH, can protect cells from the immune system attack) antibodies in their bodies.

CFH by preventing activation of the immune response is an important, and work. It inhibits C3b deposited a supplemental protein on the cell surface. Supplementary C3b can cause degradation of the cell membrane, which ultimately leads to cell death. Once CFH antibodies are identified, Patz and his colleagues sought to investigate: how this immune response may be optimized as a cancer treatment. The key to this work is to find a proven method to produce antibodies that recognize the same portion of CFH — and early cancer patients have autoantibodies as to ensure that the antibody to tumor cells have a special affinity.

Patz and his colleagues collected white blood cells from cancer patients CFH antibodies produced, and manufacturing from a single antibody specific immune cells, isolated and cloned the antibody genes. This is an efficient process that allows researchers to produce mature antibodies, the immune system to identify patients with the original target set in the same region of CFH, therefore, lead to an attack on cancer cells, but not healthy cells.

The researchers then in a dish in multiple cancer cell lines — including lung, stomach and breast cancer, as well as in vivo in mice, the antibody test. They found that the antibody causes tumor cell death without any apparent side effects. Antibody seems to be able to trigger additional adaptive immune response, then the damaged cells send signals to recruit lymphocytes, thereby creating a more lethal attack system.

Patz said, “We believe that this additional cellular responses may have far-reaching impact on long-term prognosis of cancer.” And he pointed out that they still need further testing to understand the full potential of this approach. This may represent a new cancer treatment method, which is exciting because this antibody can selectively kill tumor cells. Thus we can achieve tumor control without having significant side effects. We believe that we can modulate the immune response and allow the body’s own immune system to take over and kill or inhibit tumor growth.”

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