Nature Cancer magazine reported that a group of American researchers developed a new way to treat one of the most dangerous types of brain cancer.
The magazine explained that researchers at Mass General Brigham hospital innovated a therapeutic method for glioblastoma, one of the most aggressive and difficult to treat brain cancers. This method relies on modifying the simple herpes virus HSV-1 so that it targets only tumor cells, with reactivation of the immune system to attack the tumor effectively.
The team designed the virus to recognize specific tumor markers of glioblastoma and deliver five therapeutic molecules at the same time to the microenvironment of the tumor, including IL-12 and anti-PD1 and molecules that engage dual-specificity T-cells, to disrupt the tumor mechanisms that suppress the immune response. The virus also contained safety mutations that protect healthy neural cells, and a genetic marker that allows for tracking its spread through imaging.
Preclinical tests on mice showed that a single injection of the virus enhanced the activity of T-cells, natural killer cells, and myeloid cells in the tumor tissues, slowed tumor growth, and increased the lifespan of the animals. The researchers confirmed that this method combines precision in operation and targeted delivery of immune agents, with a high level of safety, and can be adapted to combat other types of tumors.
