Scientists have made an exciting breakthrough in our understanding of how our immune systems respond to cancer. By understanding these biochemical pathways, we may be able to increase the efficacy of existing immunotherapy treatments and make them accessible to a wider range of patients.
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Immunotherapy uses our body’s own immune system to fight cancer. Normally our immune systems work hard to spot and destroy potentially malignant cells before they can grow into a tumor.
However, there are certain situations when our immune system is unable to do its job effectively. If it is weak, it may recognize a cancer cell but be unable to kill it. But cancer cells are also very good at hiding from our immune systems, or even producing signals that stop the immune system from attacking it.
Immunotherapy works by helping our immune systems to recognize and attack these cancer cells, and has several key benefits over traditional chemotherapy. Firstly, although it does have some side effects, immunotherapy is considerably less toxic and easier for the patient to handle.
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Secondly, by training the immune system to fight off the tumor, patients can develop long-term immunological memory against recurring tumors in the future and stop them from coming back.
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However, immunotherapy doesn’t work for everyone (although the exact percentage varies for different treatments and different cancers.) New research is looking encouraging, and as many as three in five patients could be responsive to certain immunotherapies. But what about the other 40 percent? What if there was a way to boost their immune system’s response to these cancers?
In a new study, published in the journal Nature Genes & Immunity, researchers from the University of Turku in Finland may have found just that.
The research revolves around a protein called TIMP-1, which has traditionally been known to play a role in protecting the body’s cells and tissues from damage. However, according to the new research, led by Carlos Rogerio Figueiredo, it may also be able to help boost the immune system’s ability to recognize and destroy cancer cells.
Figueiredo and his team had seen that high levels of TIMP-1 in melanoma tissue was associated with an increased infiltration of so-called “killer” T-cells—the soldiers of our immune system—and overall survival.
“For patients deficient in TIMP-1 expression, our discovery helps create rational therapeutic innovations,” Figueiredo, a professor in biomedicine at the University of Turku, said in a statement.
He added that these findings may also help boost patients’ immune systems against viruses and bacteria.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.