China Unveils Tumor-Fighting Therapy That Triggers Organ Rejection Response

Researchers in China have crafted a groundbreaking anti-tumor therapy that sparks a fierce immune reaction—akin to the body rejecting a transplanted organ. The study, detailed in Cell, showcases a bold leap in cancer treatment.

At Guangxi University, scientists engineered a virus that, once injected into a tumor, makes cancer cells mimic pig tissue. Thanks to the α1,3GT gene, which codes for a protein notorious for triggering rejection in transplants, the immune system flags these cells as invaders and launches an all-out assault.

The approach was tested on 23 patients with advanced, treatment-resistant cancers. Astonishingly, 90 percent saw tumor growth halt or shrink, with one cervical cancer patient achieving full remission. Administered intravenously, the virus worked systemically—zeroing in on tumors without harming healthy cells or causing severe side effects.

Experts note the therapy wreaks havoc on tumor blood vessels, triggers widespread cancer cell death, and unleashes a robust immune counterattack. The team believes this could herald a new frontier in oncology: turning tumors into “foreign tissue” the body naturally rejects. A second phase of trials is now in the works.