A study led by St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital scientists has
identified the population of white blood cells that tumors use to
enhance growth and suppress the disease-fighting immune system. The
results, which appear in the December 18 edition of the scientific
journal Immunity, mark a turning point in cancer immunology and provide the foundation for developing more effective immunotherapies.
For years, researchers have known that a diverse group of white blood
cells called myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC) are more abundant
in cancer patients than in healthy individuals. The cells enhance cancer
growth and suppress the specialized T cells that target and destroy
tumor cells. MDSCs have a common origin in the bone marrow, but leave to
travel throughout the body and become immune cells with different
functions. Blocking T cells is one of the main MDSC functions.
Until now, however, efforts to distinguish among the cell types and
identify the population responsible for anti-tumor immune suppression
have fallen short. The puzzle has hampered efforts to harness the immune
system to fight disease.
"We have identified the monocytic cells as the important cell to
target, not only in cancer but possibly for treatment of autoimmune
disorders like rheumatoid arthritis or inflammatory bowel diseases where
dampening the immune response could provide relief," said corresponding
author Peter Murray, Ph.D., a member of the St. Jude departments of
Infectious Diseases and Immunology. "We also identified growth factors
and other molecules essential to the survival and function of these
monocytic cells. Targeting these molecules could lead to more precise
approaches for controlling the immune response at the tumor site.
"This study marks a significant step in efforts to understand,
develop and optimize immunotherapies for treatment of cancer," he said
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