Researchers from the University of California San Diego have shown that an experimental treatment made from a plant virus is effective at protecting against a broad range of metastatic cancers in mice. The treatment, composed of nanoparticles created with cowpea mosaic viruses, suppressed the growth of metastatic tumors across various cancer models, including colon, ovarian, melanoma, and breast cancer. The new study builds upon previous research by the lab of Nicole Steinmetz, a professor of nanoengineering at UC San Diego. "Here, we do not treat established tumors or metastatic disease – we prevent them from forming,” Steinmetz said. “We are providing a systemic treatment to wake up the body's immune system to eliminate the disease before metastases even form and settle."
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