
Prof. Erez Levanon, Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences
A new mechanism for activating the immune system against cancer cells allows immune cells to detect and destroy cancer cells better than before, according to a study published this week in the journal Nature.
The study was led by Prof. Nick Haining, of Harvard Medical School, and co-authored by Prof. Erez Levanon, doctoral student Ilana Buchumansky, of the Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences at Bar-Ilan University, and an international team.
The focus of the study is a mechanism that routinely serves the cell by marking human virus-like genes in order to avoid identifying them as viruses. Now, Prof. Levanon, together with the Harvard team, has discovered that when inhibiting this mechanism, the immune system can be harnessed to fight cancer cells in a particularly efficient manner, and most effectively in lung cancer and melanoma.
“We found that if the mechanism is blocked, the immune system is much more sensitive. When the mechanism is deactivated, the immune system becomes much more aggressive against the tumor cells,” said Levanon.
In recent years, a new generation of cancer drugs has been developed which blocks proteins that inhibit immune activity against malignant tumors. These drugs have shown remarkable success in several tumor types. This year’s Nobel Prize in Medicine was awarded to James Allison and Tasuku Honjo, who discovered the key genes of this mechanism. Despite this achievement, the current generation of drugs helps only a small number of patients, while most of the drugs fail to cause the immune system to attack the tumor. It is hoped that the new discovery will allow enhanced activity of the immune system to attack cancer cells. A number of companies have already begun research to screen for drugs that will operate on the basis of this discovery.
Learn more: Researchers reveal new mechanism to “activate” the immune system against cancer
The Latest on: Immune system
[google_news title=”” keyword=”immune system” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
via Google News
The Latest on: Immune system
- Cancer-causing viruses use a human protein to evade the innate immune responseon February 6, 2023 at 6:57 pm
The viruses Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) have been linked to several cancers.
- Communication at the crossroads of the immune systemon February 6, 2023 at 7:16 am
In a article in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Prof Mike Dustin and his research team have explained how messages are passed across the immunological synapse. The research could ...
- How Signaling Molecules of the Immune System Protect against Diseaseon February 6, 2023 at 4:00 am
Scientists explain how interferon gamma uses four amino acids to bind to the extracellular matrix of connective tissue, which forms a web between individual cells and thus mediates intercellular ...
- NEMO Study Finds a Key to Immune and Nervous System Signalingon February 6, 2023 at 1:52 am
A cascade of various events is required for the transmission of signals within cells. Researchers observed that the signaling protein NEMO also forms condensates and identified the underlying ...
- MIT study helps shed light on why the immune system mounts a dull response to lung canceron February 3, 2023 at 2:42 pm
Immunotherapy -; drug treatment that stimulates the immune system to attack tumors -; works well against some types of cancer, but it has shown mixed success against lung cancer.
- The Importance of the Human Immune Systemon February 1, 2023 at 3:59 pm
One of such processes, that keeps you alive is your immune system. The immune system is so vital in the existence of a man, that anything that compromises this process, can be harmful to man.
- The food and drink that really can boost your immune systemon February 1, 2023 at 8:31 am
WALK down any supermarket aisle and you will see rows of food and drink that claim to help your immune system. We are told that cinnamon is good at battling inflammation and fighting off illness ...
- Prepare Your Immune System for Flu Season With 3 Homemade Fruit Juiceson February 1, 2023 at 2:31 am
For homemade juices to fortify your immune system this winter, start with the three recipes below. There are three yummy fruits that aid immunity. Pears, apples, and blood oranges all contain vitamin ...
- How to tell if your immune system is weak or strongon January 31, 2023 at 2:19 pm
WHEN you are under the covers, sniffling from your third cold of the year, you might wonder whether your immune system is pulling its weight. It is a question we would all love to answer ...
- What Is COVID Actually Doing to Our Immune Systems?on January 31, 2023 at 2:59 am
When the immune system goes awry, it’s bad news. A wonky immune system might mean that you’re more likely to catch colds and flus, or be infected by other pathogens—and less likely to shake ...
via Bing News