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A modified peptide shows promise for fighting tumors

By: Erica Moser Date: Aug 22, 2024
Tumor microenvironment
A collaborative team of researchers including scientists from the School of Veterinary Medicine and Perelman School of Medicine show how a modified peptide can successfully target the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. (Image: iStock/Marcin Klapczynski)

The growth of healthy tissues in the body depends on the development of new blood vessels, a process called angiogenesis, that enable proper blood flow, meaning nutrients and oxygen are delivered while toxic metabolic products are removed. But solid tumors grow faster than healthy tissues, resulting in deficiencies in oxygen and blood flow, which leads to accelerated formation of dysfunctional blood vessels. Malignant cells rapidly grow while antitumor immune cells quickly lose their viability and function.

These events, cell biologist Serge Fuchs of the School of Veterinary Medicine says, promote generation of the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, which stimulates the spread and growth of tumors and confers resistance to antitumor therapies.

Past research has shown how native C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP), a 22-amino acid peptide produced by endothelial cells and fibroblasts, stimulates growth of normal blood vessels and restores proper blood flow and oxygenation within tissues of rodent limbs that weren’t getting enough blood flow. Given the importance of CNP in angiogenesis, researchers reasoned that CNP would also play a critical role in regulating tumor vasculature. But therapeutic potential of CNP is severely hampered by its short half-life of less than three minutes, says Zhen Lu, a former senior research investigator in Fuchs’ lab.

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About Penn Vet

Ranked among the top ten veterinary schools worldwide, the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine (Penn Vet) is a global leader in veterinary education, research, and clinical care. Founded in 1884, Penn Vet is the first veterinary school developed in association with a medical school. The school is a proud member of the One Health initiative, linking human, animal, and environmental health.

Penn Vet serves a diverse population of animals at its two campuses, which include extensive diagnostic and research laboratories. Ryan Hospital in Philadelphia provides care for dogs, cats, and other domestic/companion animals, handling more than 34,600 patient visits a year. New Bolton Center, Penn Vet’s large-animal hospital on nearly 700 acres in rural Kennett Square, PA, cares for horses and livestock/farm animals. The hospital handles more than 6,200 patient visits a year, while our Field Services have gone out on more than 5,500 farm service calls, treating some 18,700 patients at local farms. In addition, New Bolton Center’s campus includes a swine center, working dairy, and poultry unit that provide valuable research for the agriculture industry.