Identify the key components of the immune system to treat cancer

A new scientific discovery has helped identify the keys of the immune system for the success of immunotherapy in cancer.

The study was conducted by researchers from the Institute of Biology and Experimental Medicine (Ibyme-Conicet) and the University of Buenos Aires, researchers from the Pasteur Institute of Montevideo and the Faculty of Medicine of the University of the Republic of Uruguay and researchers from INSERM (France). ) and allowed to identify new interactions between components of the immune system whose understanding is essential to the success of immunotherapy.

Immunotherapy is a treatment that has become very important in recent years because it helps to capitalize on the intrinsic potential of the immune system to fight tumors. However, not all patients respond successfully to treatment and the reasons for these discrepancies remain unknown.

The research – published in the prestigious journal Cancer Cell (13/05/2019) – has also helped advance in the identification of a chemical compound that activates the components of the immune system that participate in the cancer response and enhances the effects of immunotherapy. in experimental models of cancer resistant to these therapies.

"This compound is still in the study to badyze its toxicity and potentially evaluated in humans," said Mercedes Segovia of IP Montevideo and the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Laos. Republic (Udelar), who led the study with Sofía Russo, who plays in the same institutions.

"The identification of the TMEM176b molecule as a new therapeutic target in patients who do not respond to immunotherapy and a new drug that blocks it is of fundamental importance given the need to provide more treatment opportunities for these patients, "said Gabriel Rabinovich, director of the Ibyme-Conicet Immunopathology Laboratory and full professor at the Faculty of Natural Sciences of the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina.

On the other hand, "the detection of a molecular signature of genes in biopsies of patients not responding to these treatments is fundamental," said Dr. Romina Girotti, head of the Immunobaday Laboratory. oncology of the same institute.

Until now, research has had positive results in experimental cancer models. Similarly, the badysis of human tumor samples confirms the relevance of the results obtained. It could thus predict which patients will respond to immunotherapy and which patients will not, and rationalize the use of this type of treatment that requires special attention. expensive in Latin America

researchers

The research is the result of a collaborative work of Marcelo Hill 's group, the laboratory of immuno – regulation and inflammation of the IP Montevideo and professor at the Faculty of Medicine of the. University of the Republic, in collaboration with researchers Gabriel Rabinovich of the Institute's immunopathology laboratory. Biology and Experimental Medicine (Conicet) in Buenos Aires, Argentina and María Romina Girotti, from the Institute's Immuno-Oncology Laboratory and Cristina Cuturi from the National Institute of Health and Medical Research (Inserm), in Nantes (France). The Argentine group also participated in Yamil Mahmoud and Florencia Veigas, PhD students from Conicet at Ibyme.

"This collaboration is a sign of the importance of regional and international networks that allows us to increase the quality of science from developing countries," said Marcelo Hill, leader of the Uruguayan group. "This work has greatly enriched us scientifically and humanely, has strengthened us and has generated close links between research groups from sister countries," added Rabinovich.