Stem cell rejuvenation helps immunotherapy fight cancer tirelessly
Immunotherapy is a promising new form of cancer treatment, but the supercharged immune cells it employs can become exhausted in the fight. Researchers in Japan have found a way to keep them going for longer, by rejuvenating them with stem cells.
Immunotherapy is a promising new form of cancer treatment, but the supercharged immune cells it employs can become exhausted in the fight. Researchers in Japan have found a way to keep them going for longer, by rejuvenating them with stem cells.
Our immune systems are our most powerful tools against cancer, but sometimes they need some help. Cancer has an arsenal of crafty tricks at its disposal to avoid detection. CAR T cell immunotherapy is our way to try to turn the tide back in our favor.Doing so involves removing immune cells from a patient, engineering them to recognize specific proteins found on cancer cells, and returning them to the body to get to work hunting that cancer down. The T cells can become exhausted, giving the cancer a chance to bounce back.
In the new study, researchers from Juntendo University in Japan started with T cells that specifically seek out a cancer protein called LMP2, and wound back the clock to turn them into what are called induced pluriopotent stem cells (iPS cells). Then, the team added a receptor that recognizes a different cancer protein called LMP1. The end result is “rejuvenated” T cells that not only resist exhaustion for longer, but can target both cancer proteins.
Researcher named them dual receptor rejuvenated T-cells, or DRrejTs.The researchers tested the treatment in mice with lymphoma, and found that the treated animals survived much longer, with all of them living more than 100 days. This indicates that the DRrejT cells remained active for long periods of time.
ارسال به دوستان