Nanobiophysical approach offers new perspectives for oncolytic cancer therapy

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women and some aggressive forms remain difficult to treat. As the appearance of breast cancer is often associated with the appearance of extracellular markers, these could be used to better target therapeutic agents such as oncolytic reoviruses. Using atomic force microscopy, David Alsteens' team (WELBIO - UCLouvain) demonstrated a correlation between the expression levels of cellular glycans in breast cancer and the mechanical attachment and infection properties of reoviruses. Furthermore, the team was able to enhance the infectivity of reoviruses in malignant cells by coinjection of α-sialylated glycans. In conclusion, this study supports both the use of reoviruses as oncolytic agents in nanomedicine and the role of α-sialylated glycans as adjuvants in oncolysis, offering a new perspective in oncolytic cancer therapy.

Reference : Mohammed et al (2021) NanoLetters DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.1c03608

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