Researchers at the Princess Margaret Cancer Center have devised “super-soldiers” modified by DNA to fight cancer. The development sees deadly immune T-cells transformed into “super-soldiers” and their ability to kill cancer cells has been greatly increased.
The research is conducted by Ph.D. candidate Helen Loo Yau, Dr. Postdoctoral Fellow Emma Bell, and Dr. Daniel D. De Carvalho.
“Our goal for the future is to use this strategy in combination with other immunotherapies to strengthen tumor immunity,” said De Carvalho, Associate Professor, Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto.
“We are considering a future clinical trial where we will collect T-cells from the patient for treatment with epigenetic therapy in the laboratory. This could significantly expand the army of cancer-killing cells. effectively creating an ‘army of superintendents.’ These cells can then be reintroduced into the patient, to strengthen their built-up immune response to the tumor. “
De Carvalho’s lab first noticed an increase in T-cell infiltration in mouse tumors treated with epigenetic therapy that stopped working when the T cells were removed. concluded that the T-cells were responsible for the success of the treatment.
They went on to try this same treatment on T-cells from healthy human donors, as well as patients with melanoma, breast, ovarian and colorectal cancers. Their findings identified two specific genes that were activated by epigenetic therapy and that were responsible for the T cells being better at killing the cancer cells.
“The T-cells became a kind of‘ excellent soldiers ’, with well-activated molecules – with bigger and better weapons – to destroy the cancer cells,” Dr De Carvalho added. that his work sets the platform for clinical studies combining epigenetics with others. immunotherapy strategies.
Is this the cancer cure we have all been waiting for? Only time and more trials will tell.
The research is published in the journal Cell molecular.