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Scientists have brought new insights into the workings of immunotherapy, a breakthrough cancer treatment that harnesses the power of the immune system.
By focusing on the role of white blood cells called natural killer cells in the body's defense against cancer, the study expands our understanding of medications called immune checkpoint inhibitors, which induce the immune system to attack the disease.
For years, it has been thought that these drugs target T cells. T cells have a number of uses: some teach the immune system how to attack intruders such as viruses, others launch attacks themselves, while others help B cells create antibodies.
Dr. Michele Ardolino, Assistant Professor in the Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology of the Ottawa Hospital and co-lead author of the study, said: Newsweek: "We have discovered that another population of white blood cells, called natural killer cells, is inhibited by the same mechanisms that suppress T cells and can be activated by the same known immunotherapies to activate T cells."
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"Our work challenges the central dogma of cancer immunotherapy," Ardolino said. "This opens a new and exciting path of research that could lead to even more effective immunotherapy treatments."
T cells and natural killer cells take different approaches to finding and killing cancer cells. Natural killer cells are the first line of defense of the body and are interested in the major trends of cancer cell change. T cells, in turn, recognize individual abnormal molecules in cancer cells and launch a laser-targeted attack.
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The team at Ottowa Hospital behind the study, published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, examined the effects of checkpoint inhibitors in mice with cancer. They found that the drugs further reduced tumor size in mice that did not have T cells, suggesting that other cells must be activated to attack the disease. This hypothesis seems to be reinforced when the drugs act less efficiently in mice without natural killer cells. In addition, natural killer cells have been shown to produce the same control point receptor molecules as T cells. This indicates that both cells may be awakened by these drugs.
"While I was expecting natural killer cells to have an effect on immunotherapy, I was absolutely surprised by the discovery that the elimination of natural killer cells in mice made immunotherapy totally ineffective in some tumor models, "said Ardolino.
According to Ardolino, these findings could help make personalized cancer treatments a reality.
"I believe that immunotherapy is the ultimate personalized therapy and my dream is that someday, a patient with a tumor enters a hospital and that by examining the tumor and the immune system the patient, we will be able to provide a suitable and effective treatment. immunotherapy, "he said. "A lot of work remains to be done and funding for basic research is essential for this to happen."
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