2023-10-09 20:02:45
In what is considered a huge discovery, researchers in Australia have discovered, for the first time, the gene responsible for hiding cancer cells inside the intestine, which makes it difficult for immune cells to recognize and confront them. The main researcher of the study confirmed to Sky News Arabia that this opens the door to developing more immunotherapies. Effectiveness for bowel cancer patients.
The study, prepared by researchers at the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute in Australia, and published in the American journal Science Immunology, said that every year, more than 15,000 Australians are diagnosed with bowel cancer, which is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the country. More than 1,700 (1 in 10) of those diagnosed are young Australians under the age of 50, and the incidence is increasing.
According to the study, there is an urgent need to discover more effective treatments and improve the process of diagnosing bowel cancer, especially for bowel cancer at the beginning (those aged 25-49 years).
The study showed that Australians born in 1990 onwards have double the risk of developing bowel cancer compared to those born in 1950, and treatment outcomes for younger bowel cancer patients are often less responsive because they usually develop a late stage of the disease.
Immunotherapy is one of the most promising new treatments for cancer, which involves enhancing the ability of immune cells within the body to recognize and eliminate cancer cells. However, less than 10 percent of bowel cancer patients respond to current immunotherapies.
The two lead researchers on the new study
The two lead researchers on the new study
What did the study reveal?
The lead researcher in the study, head of the Mucosal Immunity and Cancer Laboratory at the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute, Dr. Lisa Mielke, explained the importance of this research achievement to Sky News Arabia, saying:
Our research revealed that a gene known as TCF-1 limits the cancer-fighting ability of immune cells in the large intestine. This gene is responsible for hiding cancer and limits the immune cells’ recognition of it, thus reducing their chances of fighting it. If we work to stop the action of this gene, the chances of treating bowel cancer will increase with the ability of immune cells to recognize and fight it. We are very excited about this new research discovery that will help us develop more targeted and effective immunotherapies with fewer side effects for bowel cancer patients.
What are cancer-fighting cells?
Dr. Lisa Mielke says:
During the research, we discovered that an important group of immune cells in the large intestine are called T cells (gamma delta) and are essential for preventing bowel cancer. Gamma-delta T cells act as front-line defenders in the intestine, and what makes these immune cells unusual is that they constantly patrol and protect the epithelial cells lining the intestine, acting as warrior soldiers against potential cancer threats. When we analyzed samples from bowel cancer patients, we found that when there were more gamma delta T cells present in the tumors, these patients had better treatment outcomes and a greater chance of survival. The large intestine contains trillions of bacteria, viruses and fungi, collectively known as the microbiome, and while some bacteria are linked to disease, others are extremely important to the immune system.
The importance of discovery
According to the study’s lead co-author, Marina Yako, this research leads to improved treatments for cancer patients in the future.
We discovered that the amount and diversity of the microbiome in the large intestine resulted in a higher concentration of a gene called TCF-1 on gamma delta T cells compared to other areas of the intestine. This gene (TCF-1) suppresses the natural immune response, stopping the ability of gamma delta T cells to fight bowel cancer. When we deleted TCF-1 in gamma delta T cells using pre-clinical models, this radically changed the behavior of these immune cells and we saw a significant reduction in the size of bowel cancer tumors. Our world-first research breakthrough paves a new roadmap for developing targeted combination immunotherapies to more effectively treat bowel cancer patients. This research discovery also opens new possibilities for understanding how the microbiome and immune cells interact in the gut, which may lead to the development of new strategies to reduce the risk of bowel cancer and better bowel cancer screening.
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