Killing Cancer Cells, Leaving Normal Cells Alone

The biggest problem in cancer therapy is being able to selectively destroy malignant cells while not harming normal tissue. UW Madison chemistry professor Laura Kiessling and her team have developed one method for selectively killing cancer cells.

In a series of cell-based experiments, the researchers' system recognized and killed only those cells displaying high levels of receptors known as integrins. These molecules, which tend to bedeck the surfaces of cancer cells and tumor vasculature in large numbers, have become important targets in cancer research.

In contrast, an established tumor-homing agent linked to the cell toxin doxorubicin destroyed cells even when they expressed very little integrin, indicating this strategy has the potential to kill cancerous and healthy cells indiscriminately.

"This study suggests that the cell recognition mode we used can direct an endogenous immune response to destroy cancer cells selectively," says Kiessling. "We think this could lead to a new class of therapeutic agents not only for cancer but also for other diseases involving harmful cells."

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The researchers' method is promising, because it would allow oncologists to target tumour cells that had the same receptors that normal cells have--only at much higher levels. This differential in number of specific receptors between malignant and normal cells allows differential immune "tagging" just enough to kill the cancer cells but leave the normal cells intact.

This method should be useful for a wider range of tumour types than most anti-receptor therapies up until now.