Equip a new 'weapon' for T cells to fight cancer

An approach called passive T-cell therapy involves removing immune cells from the body and reinforcing their "weapons" to fight cancer getting the attention of scientists.

Specifically, the German researchers have just announced that they have developed a new method, equipping immune T cells with a surface molecule to help fight deadly cancer.

Researchers from Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen in Germany say that equipping a new molecule on the surface of T cells will help them react more strongly to proteins that cancer uses to disguise the immune system. can.

To do this, they used T cell culture therapy, separated from the body and installed on their surface a new molecule that helps T cells to accurately identify cancer cells and destroy them.

Dr. Elfriede Nößner, Director of the Helmholtz Zentrum München Immunology Research Group said: "Because cancer appears in the cells of the body, it is difficult for the immune system to distinguish good cells from cells. So, there must be a method to help distinguish the current predicament from cancer ".

Here, the researchers used a new molecular surface made up of two halves, an outer half on T cells that would determine, affect the cancer tumor molecule PD-L1. The inner half is in which cell T activates, "awakening" sleep mode in T cells, causing them to be excited and quickly attack the cancerous tumor cells, and can make T cells strong than.

Research shows that T cells equipped with a new surface molecule are more effective in developing tumor cell destruction.

Elfriede Nößner said: "If this experiment is successful, it will open a new" arsenal "for T cells to fight cancer cells through external T-cell therapies. Only make it more effective that can be expanded to treat many patients 'bodies, more complex types of cancer in the future . '

This research has just been published in Cancer Research.