CMV Immunity & Pancreatic Cancer: A Potential New Target

Researchers at the University of California San Diego have identified a potential novel treatment strategy for pancreatic cancer by leveraging the body’s existing immunity to cytomegalovirus (CMV), a common virus that infects most people. The approach, detailed in a recent publication in the Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer, has shown promising results in delaying tumor growth and extending survival in mice.

Pancreatic cancer is notoriously difficult to treat, and remains one of the deadliest forms of the disease. The UC San Diego team, collaborating with experts at the La Jolla Institute of Immunology (LJI), focused on harnessing the immune response generated by prior CMV infection. The majority of the population has been infected with CMV, which triggers a substantial and broad memory T cell response, making it an attractive target for immunotherapy.

The research involved delivering small pieces of viral proteins – CMV peptides – directly to pancreatic tumors in mice. This action redirected virus-specific T cells to attack the cancer cells, resulting in significant cell death, as evidenced by preclinical studies. “We were thrilled to see such a strong response in our preclinical studies,” said Hurtado de Mendoza, PhD, assistant professor of surgery at UC San Diego School of Medicine.

The study, published May 19, 2025 as a preprint on bioRxiv, utilized mice latently infected with murine CMV (MCMV) that were implanted with pancreatic cancer cells. Systemic injections of MCMV T-cell epitopes were then administered. Researchers from the Center for Vaccine Innovation and Center for Autoimmunity and Inflammation at LJI, along with the Moores Cancer Center at UC San Diego, contributed to the findings.

This new treatment approach offers a potentially simpler and more accessible alternative to traditional immunotherapies. The research team believes the method could be applicable not only to pancreatic cancer but too to other solid tumors that are difficult to treat. Further research is ongoing to determine the efficacy and safety of this approach in human clinical trials.