The work-in-progress in biological cancer therapy / 医学研究生学报

ABSTRACT

Novel and efficient therapeutic modalities are urgently needed for cancer patients .We focused on biological therapies including oncolytic virotherapy and immune therapy against cancer .In the study of oncolytic virotherapy , we have identified the crosstalk between virus-induced mitophagy and retinoic acid inducible gene I (RIG-I)-like receptors signaling.Importantly, we find that cell necrosis rather than apoptosis ( as supposed by previous studies ) contributes dominantly to oncolysis of measles virus Edmon-strain in cancer.Furthermore, we have clarified the role of mitophagy in switching cell death from apoptosis to necrosis .These novel findings are important for further improvement of oncolyticvirotherapy .5′-Triphosphate RNA ( ppp-RNA) is a specific ligand of the pat-tern recognition receptor retinoic acid-inducible gene I ( RIG-I) .By combining immune activation and specific gene silencing , we have designed three anticancer ppp-siRNAs targeting TGF-β1 , GLS1 and VEGF , respectively , and we find that these ppp-siRNAs possess potent antitumor efficacies both in vitro and in vivo .In addition , we have also utilized nanomaterials to treat cancers .Next, we want and try to block the immune escape of cancer by targeting immune checkpoints .