title: Myeloid-derived suppressor cells: Cellular missiles to target tumors.
abstract: While conventional anticancer therapies, including surgical resection, radiotherapy, and/or chemotherapy, are relatively efficient at eliminating primary tumors, these treatment modalities are largely ineffective against metastases. At least in part, this reflects the rather inefficient delivery of conventional anticancer agents to metastatic lesions. We have recently demonstrated that myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) can be used as cellular missiles to selectively deliver a radioisotope-coupled attenuated variant ofListeria monocytogenesto both primary and metastatic neoplastic lesions in mice with pancreatic cancer. This novel immunotherapeutic intervention robustly inhibited tumor growth while promoting a dramatic decrease in the number of metastases.
authors.affiliation: Albert Einstein College of Medicine; Department of Microbiology and Immunology; Bronx, NY USA.
authors.forename: Dinesh
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chandra
authors.affiliation: Albert Einstein College of Medicine; Department of Microbiology and Immunology; Bronx, NY USA.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gravekamp
keywords: Cancer vaccine; Listeria; MDSC; Tumor microenvironment; targeted therapy