Researchers develop human-derived antibody that destroys Cancer cells

Scientists at Duke University have developed an antibody that targets cancer cells and triggers an immune response to kill tumors while leaving other cells unharmed. The emerging approach to cancer treatment holds promise as an alternative to existing immunotherapies that pose unwanted side effects, researchers said. They observed that a human-derived, purified antibody kills tumor cells when bound to a specific target, a protein called complement factor H (CFH), which protects cells from an immune system attack. Researchers extracted the white blood cells from patients who made the antibody, sequenced the antibody genes, and cloned them to make mature antibodies. The antibody was then tested in multiple cancer cell lines, including lung, gastric and breast cancers in lab dishes and in tumors in living mice. Researchers observed that the antibodies inhibited tumor growth without obvious side effects.
“More important is what we’re finding is that it kills enough tumor cells to hold the tumor in check,” he said. “What we’re working on now is to show it allows more immune cells to come in and take over.”
The technique of human-derived antibodies was first designed to use with HIV patients, to find antibodies for infectious disease.
“We’re the first group to use it for cancer, Everybody told us we couldn’t do it.”