The University of Buffalo has received a $ 1.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Defense to develop new therapies that will help reduce harmful inflammation and immunity in oral cancers.
During the three-year donation, the research will be based on a type of white blood cell called a macrophage which – after migrating to oral tumors – stimulates uncontrolled inflammation, which inhibits the body’s immune response and reduces it. effectiveness of anticancer therapies.
The researchers are aiming to reprogram the macrophages by targeting genes that regulate inflammation. By reducing inflammation, oral cancers become more sensitive to new and traditional chemotherapies.
If successful, the findings could help increase the survival of oral cancers, which claim the lives of about half of oral cancer patients within five years, according to Keith Kirkwood, DDS, PhD , chief investigator, Centennial Chair and professor of oral biology at UB School of Dental Medicine.
A change in behavior in the white blood cells inside the eardrum itself removes the ‘brakes’ in the system, causing more oral cancer growth. We recommend reprogramming the white blood cells to regain control of the brakes. “
Keith Kirkwood, Associate Dean for Innovation and Technology Transfer, UB School of Dental Medicine
Additional investigators from Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center include Wesley Hicks Jr., MD, DDS, chair of the Department of Head and Neck / Plastic Surgery and Reconstruction; William Magner, PhD, scientist in the Department of Psychology; and Scott Abrams, PhD, professor in the Department of Psychology.
The research focuses on oral squamous cell carcinoma, the most common type of oral cancer. Found in the lips, mouth or throat, oral cancers can affect the ability to eat and speak, and can cause permanent allergies.
Veterans are twice as likely to develop head and neck cancer than non-veterans, Kirkwood said. The increased risk may be due to higher levels of alcohol and tobacco use among veterans, he says. Nearly 75% of oral cancers are caused by alcohol or tobacco use, according to an external study.