A novel method to treat cancer

Source: Science Daily

Researchers have found out a novel method to treat cancer – by using the structural disorganisation of cancer cells.

Researchers used an adenoviral vector ie… a gene transfer vehicle based on adenovirus to deliver genes. The research was done in the liver since liver is an important target for metastatic cancers and they utilized the phenomenon of the adenoviral vector binding to the receptors present on the surface of the liver cells.

Both the normal and the cancerous liver cells have the adenovirus binding receptors but in the case of the normal cell, the receptor is ‘hidden’ from the blood stream. This receptor called coxsackie-adenoviral receptor is expressed openly on the surface in the case of the cancer cell. Researchers utilized this structural disorganization of the cancer cell to allow the binding of the adenoviral vector on to the cancer cell and thereby killing the cell.

This gene therapy was stopped in between following the death of a participant triggering a lot of questions regarding the safety of the therapy.

Hence the researchers started analysing the participants of the adenoviral vector therapy to find out any toxic effect on the liver due to repeated exposure to the vector. They found nothing of that sort and also they found out that the disease condition of the participants started improving after three or four shots of the vector. It was through this treatment that the researchers found out the location of the adenoviral receptor. Their experiments showed that the normal liver cells were not affected by the adenoviral vector indicating the ‘hidden’ nature of the receptor.

Experiments also showed that other cancers like breast, prostrate and pancreatic cancers were also affected by the adenoviral vector. Although this therapy is an excellent way of treating cancer patients, further clinical trials are needed to alleviate all the fears regarding this gene therapy.