Chinese scientists develop cancer treatment that makes tumors mimic ‘pork’

ISTANBUL Chinese scientists have developed a pioneering cancer treatment that modifies tumors to resemble “pork,” effectively triggering the body’s immune system to attack them, according to a report by the South China Morning Post on Monday. The researchers have engineered tumors to mimic pig tissue, prompting the immune system to recognize them as foreign and launch a targeted attack using the same response that leads to organ transplant rejection. The study, published in Cell on Jan.

18, employs a genetically modified virus to disguise cancer cells as pig tissue, inducing a hyperacute immune rejection that specifically targets tumors while sparing healthy cells. Early clinical trials have shown remarkable results, with 90% of patients suffering from advanced, treatment-resistant cancers experiencing either halted tumor growth or shrinkage. One cervical cancer patient was even declared clinically cured.

This breakthrough offers new hope for patients whose cancers have not responded to conventional therapies, opening a promising new direction in oncology. The research, led by Professor Zhao Yongxiang, director of the State Key Laboratory of Targeting Oncology at Guangxi Medical University, has gained widespread attention on Chinese social media..