The plant virus that trains your immune system to kill cancer

Plant virus triggers immune response that targets and destroys cancer cells

A virus that typically infects black-eyed peas is showing great promise as a low-cost, potent cancer immunotherapy—and researchers are uncovering why.

The plant virus that trains your immune system to kill cancer

A virus from humble black-eyed peas is showing extraordinary promise in the fight against cancer. Unlike other plant viruses, the cowpea mosaic virus (CPMV) can awaken the human immune system and transform it into a cancer-fighting powerhouse, without infecting human cells. By comparing it to a similar, but ineffective, virus, researchers uncovered that CPMV uniquely triggers potent interferons and immune responses, making it a low-cost, plant-g…

Engineers Take a Closer Look at How a Plant Virus Primes the Immune System to Fight Cancer

A virus that typically infects black-eyed peas is showing great promise as a low-cost, potent cancer immunotherapy—and researchers are uncovering why.

Plant Virus Reprograms Immune System to Fight Cancer

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego may now have a clearer understanding of why a particular plant virus effectively activates the immune system to attack cancer cells while other similar viruses do not. The study, published in Cell Biomaterials, details how the cowpea mosaic virus (CPMV) triggers both the innate and adaptive immune pathways, priming the immune system to recognize and fight cancer cells. “It is fascinating tha…