The area of Gene Therapy and Hepatology of the research center Applied Medicine (CIMA) of the University of Navarra has identified a molecule that could contribute to improve the treatment of chronic hepatitis and liver cancer. The work, coordinated by Drs. Jesús Prieto, Esther Larrea, Pablo Sarobe, Iranzu González and Rafael Aldabe, has been published in the Journal of Virology, a journal of the American Society for Microbiology.

When the organism suffers a viral infection, dendritic cells (a subject of cells that act as the starting engine of the immune response) release interferon subject I. The researchers at CIMA observed in their study that they also secrete oncostatin M. "What was striking was that oncostatin enhances the effect of interferon in inhibiting virus replication and also markedly increases the antiviral immune response," explains Dr. Prieto.

These findings suggest that the combination of both molecules may be useful for treating viral diseases that do not respond to treatment with interferon alone, as occurs in many patients with chronic hepatitis C or B virus. "Furthermore, it is possible that this synergistic effect may also be effective for the design of strategies against different tumor processes in which conventional therapy fails," suggests the researcher.

The CIMA has patented this therapeutic formulation based on the combination of interferon subject I plus oncostatin for oncology treatment and antiviral therapy. Its transfer to clinical application is being carried out through the Spanish biotech business Digna Biotech.