Stem cells could be used as a vaccine for cancer

Appropriately modified stem cells can serve as a vaccine for cancer, according to a study by Stanford University researchers. The use of such cells could become a milestone in the fight against cancer, researchers argue

New drug could give hope to millions of sick people. All thanks to induced pluripotent cells stem cells (iPSc). The findings, published in the journal "Cell Stem Cell" indicate that iPSc could be the key to defeating The type of in cancer. Although the experiments were conducted on mice, the researchers predict that wkr tce a similar therapy will be able to be applied to humans. The use of iPSc could become a milestone in medicine, researchers argue.

Researchers at Stanford University injected mice with an iPSc-based drug and thus b forced the immune system to react. It turned out that the com cancer cells and modified com stem cells have similar proteins. As a result, the immune system of mice has begun to fight off the com rks of cancer.

What makes iPSc cells are so unique? Thanks to genetic reprogramming and "backward in development" They resemble embryonic com stem cells and can transform into almost any tissue in the body. In other words, scientists are able to "us ipe out" them to become many types of com rek and tissues. This allows them to be used in the treatment of torts in disease b and trauma .

Spos b obtaining com rek iPSc was developed by a Japanese researcher, a Nobel Prize winner – Shinya’ego Yamanake. In 2006, he discovered that zr iPSc rks can be reverted to a state similar to embryonic com stem cells by inducing the expression of four genes. The technique is now called Yamanaki transcription factors.

Research from Stanford University’s department of medicine shows that they can also "train" organism, which ry will start attacking cells cancerous. The experiment examined 75 mice. They received a vaccine based on iPSc.

After several weeks, 70 percent. The mice rejected the com rks of skin cancer ry! In the remaining 30 percent. mice have experienced significant remission of tumor. The vaccine also showed similar properties against lung cancer and sk ry.

Scientists have shown that, respectively "reprogrammed" com iPSc rki resemble the com tumor cells. However, they do not have the ability to proliferate unlimitedly, as is the case with "ordinary" tumor. Studies on mice have shown that injecting such com records into the body "teaches" The immune system, how to prevent the proliferation of com re cancerous.

– We learned that the surface of the com The iPSc record is very similar to the surface of the com rec tumor,” said Dr. Joseph Wu, a Stanford University researcher who ry directed the research. – When we immunize an animal with genetically matched com rki iPSc, the immune system gains the ability to stop tumor growth in the future,” adds the scientist.

Researchers believe that in the future it will be possible to retrieve the com rks of blood from humans, "reprogram" them in the laboratory and then use the drug thus obtained for anti-cancer therapy. – We are surprised by the effectiveness of our vaccine in triggering the immune system response, admits Dr. Joseph Wu. With the discovery, scientists hope to develop a vaccine for cancer.