Creating new life forms that may help eradicate cancer affecting women

Instead of using the usual cancer-fighting modalities, surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation, researchers from a drug development company called Advaxis, have embarked on a novel approach to fighting cancer: Engaging the immune system to attack cancer in the same the way it would a flu vaccine, by creating new life forms.

Dr. Vafa Shahabi, Advaxis' Director of Research and Development, reports that because the human immune system is not designed to fight cancer on its own, she and her colleagues are trying to harness its power through a new kind of life form: specifically a family of vaccines, which they call Lovaxin. The vaccines are comprised of new strains of bacteria created in Advaxis' laboratory that are programmed to kill off specific cancers.

The Key: A Microbe Found in Dairy Products

Central to this startling discovery is the microbe Listeria monocytogenes, a common bacterium found in milk, cheese and other dairy products. This microorganism apparently aids in fighting cancer by activating the body's own killer (cytotoxic T) cells to elicit a stronger than normal immune response to the presence of cancer cells. The vaccines "teach" the immune system to mount a specialized, targeted response that is lethal to cancer.

When Listeria is introduced in the body, it has a powerful, direct stimulatory effect on the activities of tumor-killing T cells. "Essentially the modified Listeria vaccines harness the power of the immune system against this infectious agent," explains Dr. Shabahi, "and then directs it to successfully attack cancer cells. The bacterium in effect then becomes a cancer-fighting 'Trojan horse,' with the enemy tucked inside."

For breast cancer, Dr. Shababi's team fused Listeria with a tumor-associated protein, HER-2/Neu, to immune cells, to create a vaccine called Lovaxin B. What these cells do is enlist killer T cells to seek and destroy tumor cells that over-express the HER-2/Neu molecule. This is significant because HER-2/Neu is over- expressed in 20%- 40% of all breast cancers.

Source: Advaxis, Inc.

Related stories:

You can be replaced: Immune cells compensate for defective DNA repair factor
A new mouse model has provided some surprising insight into XLF, a molecule that helps to repair lethal DNA damage. The research, published by Cell Press in the September 5th issue of the journal Molecular Cell, suggests that although XLF shares many properties with well known DNA repair factors, certain cells of the immune system possess an unexpected compensatory mechanism that that can take over for nonfunctional XLF.
New nano device detects immune system cell signaling
Scientists have detected previously unnoticed chemical signals that individual cells in the immune system use to communicate with each other over short distances.
New role for natural killers
Scientists at the University of York have discovered a new role for a population of white blood cells, which may lead to improved treatments for chronic infections and cancer.
Drug/radiation combo may help shrink established tumors
Researchers may be closer to understanding why anti-cancer drugs such as Ipilimumab, which boost the tumor-killing power of immune cells, haven't fared well in clinical trials. The new study, which describes a way to enhance the ability of these drugs to shrink well-established tumors, will be published online on August 25th in the Journal of Experimental Medicine.
Going from ulcers to cancer
Researchers have uncovered a big clue as to why some of the bacteria that cause stomach ulcers pose a greater risk for serious problems like stomach cancer than others; it turns out these bacteria can exploit the surrounding stomach cells to protect them from the immune system.
Senescence in liver cells can provoke a beneficial immune reaction
Although post-reproductive life in humans is often associated with decline and a loss of powers, an analogous state in certain cells -- called senescence -- is proving to be one of ironic potency. Scientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) today reported that a particular class of senescent liver cells orchestrates a sequence of events in living mice that can limit fibrosis, a natural response of the liver to acute damage.
To protect against liver disease, body puts cells 'under arrest'
A stable form of cell-cycle arrest known to offer potent protection against cancer also limits liver fibrosis, a condition characterized by an excess of fibrous tissue, according to a new report in the August 22nd Cell, a Cell Press publication. Triggered by chronic liver damage produced by hepatitis infection, alcohol abuse, or fatty liver disease, liver fibrosis can lead to cirrhosis, a major health problem worldwide and the 12th most common cause of death in the United States.
Carnegie Mellon MRI technology that non-invasively locates, quantifies specific cells in the body
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) isn't just for capturing detailed images of the body's anatomy. Thanks to novel imaging reagents and technology developed by Carnegie Mellon University scientist Eric Ahrens, MRI can be used to visualize — with "exquisite" specificity — cell populations of interest in the living body. The ability to non-invasively locate and track cells, such as immune cells, will greatly aid the study and treatment of cancer, inflammation, and autoimmune diseases, as well as provide a tool for advancing clinical translation of the emerging field of cellular regenerative medicine, by tracking stem cells for example.

News discussion:

Medicine & Health news