Proposed approach for revealing unknown mediators of the abscopal effect

Abstract

It is sometimes asserted, as a matter of dogma, that a local treatment cannot have systemic effects. However, treatment with radiotherapy directly localised on a tumour can profoundly affect tumour cells in the other tissues far from the radiated part. In 1953, Dr. Mole called this surprising phenomenon the 'abscopal effect'. Since its discovery, very little is known about the exact mechanism and the key mediators of this astonishing phenomenon and many other questions in this context still remain unanswered. An understanding of this phenomenon could help to control the fatal face of cancer which is metastasis, and this discovery in turn will introduce promising strategies for treatment of advanced and not-curable cancers. Based on current information, we propose that there is a particular molecule(s) or macromolecule(s) that mediate(s) the abscopal effect. We also speculate that the frequency of the abscopal effect varies between different tumour types and the newly discovered molecule(s) or macromolecule(s) can enhance/instigate the abscopal effect in those tumour types that show a low frequency of the abscopal effect. é 2013 Tehran University of Medical Sciences.