has shown that cancer is able to evade the immune system’s natural defenses, allowing it to spread undetected within the body. This has led to an increased understanding and focus on how the immune system interacts with cancer cells, and potential ways to enhance the body’s ability to fight cancer. Despite recent advances in cancer treatment, the ability of cancer to evade the immune system remains a major challenge in the fight against cancer. In this article, we will explore the latest research in this area and what it means for the future of cancer treatment.
A new study conducted by the National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS) has uncovered how cancer cells evade the immune system and spread in the body. The research team, which includes members from various organizations such as the Duke-NUS Medical School, KK Women and Children’s Hospital, A*STAR’s Singapore Immunology Network, the University of Southampton, and the Alan Turing Institute, has been investigating ways to eliminate this harmful trait to develop cutting-edge cancer treatment methods.
Cancer cells have been able to avoid detection and elimination by the immune system, allowing them to develop and spread through the body. The team used a treatment to relieve stress on immune cells, which allowed them to effectively kill cancer cells. However, some immune cells remained exhausted even after treatment, which is how cancer cells are able to evade detection and destruction by the immune system.
To understand cancer immune system suppression, the team conducted a three-part investigation by profiling primary tumours and metastatic lymph nodes from 14 patients with head and neck squamous cell cancers, using single cell RNA sequencing. They found pre-metastatic cells in the primary tumours that had the capacity to metastasize to the lymph nodes. Moreover, they found that a significant proportion of CD8+ cells, a key component of the immune system that identifies and kills abnormal cells such as cancer, were exhausted and unable to perform their protective role. This occurred when immune cells were repeatedly exposed to cancer and unable to eliminate it.
Next, the team identified and targeted pathways that exclusively affected cancer cells, immune cells, as well as pathways that cancer cells use to negatively influence immune cells, which prevented some cancer spread and rejuvenated immune cells. However, despite these promising results, cancer cells continued to escape immune surveillance.
Using a mouse model with pre-metastatic cancer cells, the team analysed a subgroup of CD8+ T cells expressing Midkine (MDK) receptors. One group in the model was treated with anti-PD1, while the other was a control arm. There was an increase in exhausted MDK-receptor expressing CD8+ T cells even after anti-PD1 treatment, suggesting that the MDK-signaling pathway instigates immune suppression that undoes the effects of anti-PD1 treatment. The results implicate the MDK-signaling pathway as a way in which pre-metastatic cancer cells evade CD8-mediated immune surveillance. It also explains why some patients do not respond as well as others to anti-PD1 therapy.
According to Professor Gopal Iyer, senior author of the study and Head and Senior Consultant of the Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Division of Surgery and Surgical Oncology, Singapore General Hospital and NCCS, cancer cells force immune cells to work overtime and become exhausted, rendering them incapable of functioning normally. The study indicates that multiple pathways can be used to effectively treat cancer – by targeting cancer cells, the immune system and using existing therapies to counter immune system evasion by cancer cells. Developing an increased arsenal of weapons against cancer is vital in improving treatment outcomes.
in this field of cancer immunology has opened up new avenues for developing more effective and precise treatments for cancer patients. By understanding how cancer cells evade the immune system, researchers can now work on developing therapies that boost the immune response against cancer cells. While there may not be a single cure for cancer yet, the ongoing research in immunotherapy brings renewed hope for the future. It is a testament to the power of science and human ingenuity in the fight against a formidable foe like cancer. As we strive towards finding better and more effective ways of preventing, diagnosing, and treating cancer, we must continue to support and invest in cancer research to ensure a brighter future for all those affected by this disease.
