Specialists of the A. N. Belozersky Research Institute of Physical and Chemical Biology (part of Lomonosov Moscow State University) completed a control experiment as part of an advance project aimed at developing a model of the early stages of carcinogenesis. The developed model makes it possible to accelerate the creation of cancer vaccines and targeted anti-cancer drugs. This was reported to TASS by the Foundation for Advanced Studies (FPI).
“During the preliminary project, a team of scientists from the A. N. Belozersky Research Institute of Physical and Chemical Biology developed a CRISPR/Cas9-based targeted genome editing system to be used on adult mice with normal immune systems. This makes it possible to simulate the occurrence of de novo cancers in mice caused by specific, predefined combinations of mutations. It is a kind of molecular building blocks for modelling cancer. The developed model opens up new opportunities for the accelerated development of cancer vaccines and targeted anti-cancer drugs,” representatives of the Foundation for Advanced Studies explained.
They said that the preliminary project had confirmed the effectiveness of the developed model, which was tested in a liver tumor formation. After the introduction of the developed genetic constructs aimed at suppressing tumor suppressors, all experimental animals developed hepatocellular carcinoma within 3 or 4 months. The genetic analysis performed after that confirmed the presence of target mutations in the tumor cells.
The organization added that the key objective of the advance project was to reproduce the initial stages of carcinogenesis using in vivo genomic editing technologies. The creation of new experimental models is extremely important for the detection of malignant changes at the preclinical stage and the identification of promising targets for immunotherapy.
Earlier, it was reported that scientists at the Center for Mathematical Modeling in Drug Development at Sechenov University have created and registered the first database containing information on the side effects of checkpoint inhibitors and their combinations in immunooncological drugs. This is an advanced class of drugs that have changed the approach to cancer treatment.
