Imagine a swarm of cells eating other cells in a microscopic world. Sound like a horror movie plot? No, this is new hope in the fight against cancer. Scientists at the University of California have discovered a gene called Rac2 that turns cells into natural enemies of cancer cells.
The discovery emerged from research on fruit flies and later extended to mice and humans. The scientists discovered that when the Rac2 gene is overactive, it causes certain cells to engulf surrounding cells. This phenomenon is necessary for normal fruit fly egg development, but in humans it may lead to a rare immune deficiency.
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Using macrophages to engulf cancer cells
Inside our bodies, we have a defensive army of different types of white blood cells that clear away unwanted substances. Neutrophils are the body’s first line of defense and are present in large numbers and engulf unwanted materials. T cells are white blood cells that specialize in destroying specialized pathogens and foreign particles. B cells can produce antibodies that help T cells recognize their targets. Macrophages are large white blood cells that engulf pathogens, abnormal cells, and cellular debris. Rac2 protein is a protein involved in various cellular processes, including cell movement and cell phagocytosis, and can be found in almost all eukaryotes. The Rac2 gene is the gene encoding Rac2 protein. (Photo/Matt Perko)
The discovery not only helps explain an immune system puzzle but also opens up new possibilities for an emerging cancer treatment that uses macrophages, a type of immune cell, to engulf cancer cells. Currently, scientists are exploring how to use Rac2-activated macrophages to increase the effectiveness of this treatment.
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This research has attracted the attention of the medical community. If successful, this will be a new cancer treatment method that can not only attack cancer cells accurately, but also cause no harm to normal cells. This all stems from basic biology research on fruit flies, once again demonstrating the importance of basic science in solving complex medical problems.
The results of this research have been published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, and the laboratory has applied for a provisional patent for this technology and is seeking cooperation from biotechnology companies to further develop this method. With further research, this technology is expected to become an important weapon in future cancer treatment.
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First picture source: Hadley Hanson cc By4.0
Photo credit: Matt Perkocc By4.0
Reference papers:
1.Hyperactive Rac stimulates cannibalism of living target cells and enhances CAR-M-mediated cancer cell killing.PNAS
Further reading:
2024-01-09 10:04:57
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