NEW HOPE IN THE FIGHT AGAINST MELANOMA
Melanoma—the deadliest form of skin cancer, arising from pigment cells—justifiably evokes the greatest fear, as it tends to metastasize to other parts of the body, including the brain. The achievements recently published by a team of scientists from the Satchi Fainaro laboratory at Tel Aviv University bring new hope in the battle against this lethal form of skin cancer.
The new vaccine developed by the Tel Aviv team is capable of preventing tumor development in mice and significantly extending the lifespan of those already affected by primary and metastatic melanomas. Conventional immunotherapy, particularly so-called immune checkpoint therapy, has shown limited clinical efficacy. Some reasons for this include a weak response in the majority of treated cases, evident resistance, and unpredictable adverse side effects.
Scientists from the Satchi Fainaro laboratory have worked on a combination therapy, specifically a new nano-vaccine with anti-PD antibodies (αPD-1). This vaccine works by suppressing tumor factors that inhibit normal immune responses, attacking tumor cells as foreign entities, thus preventing tumor development and growth. Additionally, they incorporated anti-OX40 antibodies, which stimulate the growth of T-cells (a type of immune cell). T-cells responded to this molecule by rapidly proliferating, multiplying, and becoming more potent, sustaining immune functions over a longer period.
The vaccine is composed of nanoparticles sized at 170 nanometers, made from biodegradable polymers, with two types of peptide chains—identical to those present in melanoma cells—embedded within them. This nano-vaccine targets dendritic cells. The combination of this vaccine with the aforementioned antibodies was tested on mice with melanoma. It was observed that these nanoparticles behave similarly to viral vaccines, stimulating the mice’s immune systems to recognize melanoma peptides as foreign, leading to an immune response against all cells expressing one or both of these peptides.
After extensive research, the conclusion was as follows: this research has opened doors to an entirely new approach—an effective treatment for melanoma, even in advanced stages of the disease. Scientists at the Satchi Fainaro laboratory believe that their platform could also be applied to other types of cancer, providing a strong foundation for the development of other types of nano-vaccines in the fight against cancer. In this sense, the nano-vaccine from Tel Aviv is a new ray of hope for all those affected by melanoma and other forms of the most challenging disease.
Source: News-medical.net