Experimental cancer treatment disrupts cell communication to suppress tumor growth in animal tests
A research team has developed an anticancer treatment platform that simultaneously targets cancer cells and the surrounding cells that support them while blocking communication between the two.
A research team has developed a novel anticancer treatment platform that simultaneously targets cancer cells and the cells that support them, while simultaneously halting communication between the two. This groundbreaking work, led by Professor Yoosoo Yang of Sungkyunkwan University and Dr. Man Kyu Shim of the Korea Institute of Science and Technology, is detailed in the latest issue of the Journal of the American Chemical Society.
Tumors do not grow in isolation; they thrive thanks to the action of nearby cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and various immune cells. These cells form a complex network known as the tumor microenvironment, communicating via tiny packages called extracellular vesicles (EVs). Through this exchange, cancer cells become more aggressive, and the surrounding cells aid their spread and resistance to treatments.
Conventional therapies have largely focused on attacking cancer cells directly, which only exacerbates this vicious cycle.
Focusing on epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), researchers designed a degrader-antibody conjugate (DAC). This unique agent couples an antibody that precisely targets cancer cells and activated CAFs with a drug that selectively degrades cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) within the cells. Once inside these cells, the precision-targeted DAC suppresses the production and release of extracellular vesicles, disrupting the communication network that fuels tumor growth.
Experiments using cell cultures showed the treatment reduced CAF activation, cancer cell migration, and the development of tumor-promoting macrophages. In animal studies, it significantly inhibited tumor growth and altered the tumor microenvironment to become more conducive to fighting cancer. Professor Yang explained, "Cancer cells constantly communicate with surrounding cells to create an environment favorable to their own survival and growth.
This study presents a new precision anticancer strategy that simultaneously targets cancer cells and their supporting cells while disrupting the harmful communication network between them, thereby affecting the tumor tissue as a whole."
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