The molecules mimic the activity of the immune system cells that are supposed to destroy the cancer cells
Direct link to this page: https://www.hayadan.org.il/gmcancertechnion.html
The Technion researchers succeeded in developing an innovative method for identifying cancer cells and cells infected by viruses, and targeting them, through genetic engineering of antibody molecules, which mimic the activity of immune system cells that are supposed to destroy the damaged cells but fail to do so. The development aroused great interest in the scientific world and was published in leading scientific newspapers and scientific conferences abroad.
Dr. Yoram Reiter from the Faculty of Biology at the Technion said that at the end of two years of work, the team of the Laboratory for Molecular Immunology and Antibody Engineering succeeded in developing the method that enables the efficient and rapid isolation of these innovative molecules from very large numbers of antibodies, containing tens or even hundreds of millions of different antibodies. From these libraries we developed a system that allows us to "fish" for the appropriate molecules that will recognize the damaged cell," he explained. "The isolated molecule is then produced in bacteria using methods of genetic engineering and is able to home in on the cancer cell or the cell infected with the virus. A drug or toxin will be attached to the molecule, which will kill the damaged cell."
Dr. Reiter explained that the immune system consists of two "arms" - cells and soluble antibody molecules. Each cell in the body has an "identity certificate", according to which the immune system knows whether the cell is normal or damaged, and only then does it attack it. The so-called "immune system cells" "T" cells intervene when the system detects a diseased cell. In the case of cancer, there are not many "T" cells that can deal with it and the few that exist - have difficulty dealing with the cancer cell The rate of culture is fast. This is where the laboratory headed by Dr. Reiter came into action. "The idea behind the work is - the use of a soluble and small antibody molecule, which will recognize the "identity card" of the damaged cell, as T cells recognize it," concluded Dr. Reiter. "The soluble antibody molecule can home in on the cell more easily than T cells the damaged and destroy it with the drug or toxin that we attach to it, just like a guided bomb." For molecules such as those developed for a variety of cancers and diseases Virality has many uses both for basic research and for the biotechnological industry. Through such molecules it is possible to develop a new generation of anti-cancer and antiviral drugs whose activity is targeted and effective mainly for diseases against which there are currently no effective drugs.
The research was carried out by research students Dr. Galit Dankberg, Cyril Cohen, and Dr. Avital Lev.
https://www.hayadan.org.il/BuildaGate4/general2/data_card.php?Cat=~~~500870882~~~178&SiteName=hayadan
