Giving cancer patients aspirin at the same time as immunotherapy could dramatically boost the effectiveness of the treatment, according to new research published in the journal Cell today (Thursday).
Francis Crick Institute researchers, funded by Cancer Research UK, have shown that skin, breast and bowel cancer cells often produce large amounts of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2). This molecule dampens down the immune system’s normal response to attack faulty cells, which helps cancer to hide. It is a trick that allows the tumour to thrive and may explain why some immunotherapy treatments have not been as effective as hoped.
Aspirin is part of a group of molecules called COX inhibitors, which stop the production of PGE2 and help reawaken the immune system. Combining immunotherapy with aspirin or other COX inhibitors substantially slowed bowel and melanoma skin cancer growth in mice, compared to immunotherapy alone*.
Study author Professor Caetano Reis e Sousa, senior group leader at the Francis Crick Institute, said: “We’ve added to the growing evidence that some cancers produce PGE2 as a way of escaping the immune system. If you can take away cancer cells’ ability to make PGE2 you effectively lift this protective barrier and unleash the full power of the immune system.
“Giving patients COX inhibitors like aspirin at the same time as immunotherapy could potentially make a huge difference to the benefit they get from treatment. It’s still early work but this could help make cancer immunotherapy even more effective, delivering life-changing results for patients.”
Read more: Aspirin could hold the key to supercharged cancer immunotherapy
The Latest on: Cancer immunotherapy
via Google News
The Latest on: Cancer immunotherapy
- Researchers at MU discover effective combination immunotherapy for liver canceron May 19, 2022 at 11:00 am
Researchers found that the combination therapy significantly slowed tumor growth and activated anti-tumor immune response in mice.
- SITC's "Targets for Cancer IO: A Deep Dive Series" Offers In-Depth Presentations on Cancer Immunotherapyon May 18, 2022 at 11:00 am
The Society for the Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) is offering a nine-part webinar series focused on specific topics within cancer immunotherapy, along with a live, interactive Q&A with renowned ...
- Researchers discover effective combination immunotherapy for liver canceron May 18, 2022 at 10:25 am
Researchers from the University of Missouri School of Medicine have discovered a specific combination immunotherapy that shows promise in the fight against liver cancer.
- Immunotherapy Response in Liver Cancer May Be Predicted by Novel Methodon May 18, 2022 at 5:00 am
Researchers have developed an analytical method that could help predict if an HCC patient would respond to immunotherapy.
- Clinical Trials With Immunotherapy Drugs Are Source Of Hope And Challenges In Treating Aggressive Breast Canceron May 17, 2022 at 11:00 am
Joshalyn Mills had serious side effects from her clinical trial treatments. As a Black woman, Mills believes she wouldn’t have been offered a trial if she ...
- Clinical trials with immunotherapy drugs are source of hope, challenges in treating aggressive breast canceron May 17, 2022 at 5:37 am
Joshalyn Mills of Branford and Nancy Witz of Kensington had the best possible results after being treated in clinical trials with immunotherapy drugs for aggressive breast cancer: Their tumors were ...
- Source of hope and challenges in treating aggressive breast cancer: Connecticut clinical trials with immunotherapy drugson May 17, 2022 at 2:21 am
While there are dramatic successes with immunotherapy drugs, there are also many failures, and researchers are trying to find out why in hopes of expanding the drugs’ effectiveness.
- Immunotherapy drug nivolumab may reduce risk of bladder cancer recurringon May 16, 2022 at 11:00 pm
Immunotherapy with nivolumab (Opdivo) after surgery for metastatic bladder cancer significantly reduces the odds for the tumor's return, a new clinical trial finds.
- Immunotherapy combined with chemoradiation and surgery could help treat nonmetastatic gastroesophageal canceron May 16, 2022 at 5:57 am
Immunotherapy has transformed treatment for patients with stage 4 metastatic esophageal and gastric cancers. In patients with these malignancies, immunotherapy has been shown to prolong survival when ...
- Immunotherapy may play role in treating nonmetastatic gastroesophageal canceron May 16, 2022 at 5:12 am
the cancer is usually not curable. Dr. Yoon and his colleagues performed a clinical trial to evaluate whether adding an immunotherapy called pembrolizumab to standard chemoradiation and surgery ...
via Bing News