GUWAHATI: An international team of researchers recently developed a method to enhance the immune system’s ability to identify and attack cancer cells. The breakthrough, led by Israel’s Weizmann Institute of Science, and published in Cancer Cell, has focused on overcoming one of cancer’s main defences—its ability to evade immune detection.
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Cancer cells typically remain hidden from the immune system by displaying few identifiable proteins. To address this challenge, researchers disrupted protein production within cancer cells in the study, forcing them to generate abnormal proteins. The new proteins made the cancer cells more visible to immune cells, triggering a stronger response to eliminate them.
The method was tested in mouse models, where it successfully activated immune cells to target and inhibit tumor growth. When combined with existing immunotherapy treatments, the approach led to complete tumor eradication in approximately 40% of the mice.
Researchers believe that this discovery could improve cancer treatment, especially for cancers with fewer mutations that are less responsive to current immunotherapies. The findings have suggested that by disrupting protein production, previously ineffective immunotherapies can become more effective against certain types of cancer.
Following the development, the research team is now investigating how this technique can be applied to other cancers, including breast, pancreatic, and colorectal cancers. Since the disrupted protein translation process is common across various cell types, the method has the potential to be effective against multiple cancer forms.
If further studies confirm its effectiveness, this technique could also lead to broader and more effective immunotherapy options, helping patients who previously had limited treatment possibilities.
