An international group of researchers has developed a new method that helps the immune system recognise and attack cancer cells. This new approach makes cancer cells “show themselves” to the immune system, helping the body fight against the disease.
The researchers, led by the Weizmann Institute of Science (WIS) in Israel, explained that cancer cells often hide from the immune system. They do this by displaying very few suspicious proteins that could alert the immune system to their presence. This makes it difficult for the body to identify and destroy cancer cells.
The research team, which includes experts from the US and Germany, came up with a new technique to disrupt the production of proteins in cancer cells.
This causes the cells to produce abnormal proteins, which are easier for the immune system to recognise and attack. The study was published in the journal Cancer Cell.
In experiments with mice, this method was shown to be effective in activating the immune system to target and destroy cancer cells, slowing down tumour growth. When combined with existing immunotherapy treatments, the new method led to the complete disappearance of tumours in around 40 percent of the mice.
This discovery is important as it could help improve treatments for many cancer patients, especially those with cancers that have fewer mutations, making them harder to treat.
The researchers believe this new method can make immunotherapy treatments available to more cancer patients.
The team is also exploring how this technique can be used to treat other types of cancer, such as breast, pancreatic, and colorectal cancers. They hope that this breakthrough will lead to more effective cancer treatments in the future.
Since the translation process (the way cells produce proteins) is similar in many types of cancer cells, the team believes that any treatment that works for one type of cancer could be useful for treating several others.
