#CPMV

A new study reveals that a simple plant virus—known as the cowpea mosaic virus (CPMV)—could revolutionize cancer treatment by training the human immune system to recognize and destroy tumor cells, according to research led by chemical and nano engineers at the University of California San Diego and published in Cell Biomaterials. Unlike traditional immunotherapies, CPMV stands out for its natural origins and unique effectiveness, demonstrating the potential to provide a cost-effective, sustainable approach to fighting cancer both in preclinical studies and potentially in future human trials (ScienceDaily).

A new study from UC San Diego researchers reveals that the cowpea mosaic virus (CPMV), a plant virus, can train the human immune system to recognize and attack cancer cells. Published in Cell Biomaterials, the work emphasizes CPMV’s natural origin, scalable production, and potential as an affordable cancer therapy with encouraging preclinical results and planned human trials.

Thailand faces a high cancer burden and uneven access to advanced treatments. Plant-based production of CPMV could offer a practical path to locally producible, cost-effective therapies. Researchers note that CPMV is non-infectious to humans but can provoke a strong anti-tumor immune response, offering systemic protection against metastasis in animal models.