Some chemotherapy drugs trigger immune attack by mimicking viruses ^{CEFR B1}

New research shows that some chemotherapy agents do more than directly kill cancer cells: they can trigger the innate immune system. Scientists testing a candidate called Compound 1 found it caused a build-up of toxic reactive oxygen species in cancer cells. Those cells released signals normally seen during viral infection, a phenomenon called viral mimicry.

When researchers injected pretreated cancer cells into preclinical models, the immune system treated them as if they were infected and eliminated them. It also remained primed and later attacked cancer cells that had not been treated. The team notes that viral mimicry has appeared with other cancer agents, suggesting that detection of antiviral signals may drive the antitumor response seen with some chemotherapies.

Researchers plan to screen existing drugs for this effect and to test combinations with immunotherapy, seeking clinical collaborations to study patient samples and links between survival and markers of viral mimicry.