20000505-A combination of two adenoviruses cures colon cancer in 100% of experimental mice.

The combination of two adenoviruses, which express the IP-10 and Interleukin 12 proteins, has been shown to be effective in the eradication of colon cancer in 100% of the cases analyzed in more than a hundred mice. This conclusion, recently published in the specialized publication The journal of immunology, was obtained by group by researchers from the Gene Therapy Division of the University of Navarra.

Íñigo Narvaiza, co-author of work, generated an adenovirus capable of producing the mouse IP-10 protein, "which, when applied to tumors, allows leukocytes - the cells of the immune system - to converge on the tumor mass". This treatment alone was not effective against colon cancer.

The other protein in the study, called Interleukin 12, has an important efficacy, but in very high doses it could cause certain levels of toxicity. Guillermo Mazzolini, co-author of work, explained that "by combining the two adenoviruses, the efficacy of the first increases and the toxicity of the second decreases. The synergy between the two treatments boosted their action to achieve a 100% cure rate in mice affected by colon cancer".

Adenoviruses, viruses similar to those that cause colds, but which have been genetically modified to neutralize their pathological effect, contain the necessary genes that induce cells to produce the IP-10 and Interleukin 12 proteins. The adenovirus with human Interleukin 12 has already been constructed at the University of Navarra's laboratory de Terapia génica. "The next step will be to develop an adenovirus that expresses the human IP-10 protein, with a view to its possible clinical application".

The researchers insisted that "the results obtained in mice are an experimental model , which means that they cannot be completely extrapolated to humans". To analyze the toxicity and effectiveness of the treatment, the experimentation will first be transferred to animals larger than mice, such as monkeys or rats.

report immunological

Another important consequence of the study is that "the synergy of these adenoviruses has been shown to cause an a posteriori protective effect. The application of chemotherapy in cancer patients does not always prevent the recurrence of recurrences. However, after the action of IP-10 and Interleukin 12, we reintroduced cancer cells from subject CT-26 and observed that the organism was left with 'immunereport ', that is, it recognized and rejected these cells," explained Mazzolini.

Íñigo Narvaiza highlighted a third feature of work: "Once the treatment is injected into the main tumor nodule of the mouse, we have observed that it also acts on distant nodules. This would make it possible to treat the primary tumor and prevent metastasis or spread of the cancer to other organs.

Colon cancer is one of the gastrointestinal neoplasms with the worst prognosis. It occurs in adulthood, usually after the age of 60, and due to various factors, such as predisposition Genetics, environmental causes -subject of per diem expenses, carcinogenic substances... -.

In addition to those mentioned above, other researchers have participated in this work : Ignacio Melero, Cheng Qian, Marina Duarte, Mikel Zaratiegui and Miguel Barajas, directed by Dr. Jesús Prieto, head of the Internal Medicine Department of the University of Navarra, department .