The discovery will help develop effective cancer treatments thanks to infectious pathogens. The article by scientists from the Francis Crick Research Institute in the UK is published in Nature Cell Biology.

Experts have identified the mechanism by which a tumor protects itself from oncolytic virus, the virus sometimes used to kill cancer cells and stimulate the immune response. These viruses only help a small percentage of patients, and cause the interaction between malignant cells with neighboring cells, especially cancer-associated fibroblasts. fibroblast - CAF), with low efficacy.

When cancer cells are in direct contact with CAF, an inflammatory reaction takes place that makes the virus more difficult to penetrate. A strong protective reaction takes place when a part of the virus-containing cells passes through the fibroblasts, causing these cells to signal to nearby tissues to produce cytokine against it. When the scientists blocked this mechanism, the tumor became more sensitive to oncolytic virus.

According to the researchers, there is still much to be learned about how the virus interacts with cancer, with surrounding tissues and the immune system. However, the aforementioned results are an important step to creating a more powerful tool in tumor treatment.