UCL Researchers Discover How To Activate CD4 T Cells To Target Cancer Cells, Paving The Way For New Potent Cancer Therapies
Source: Thailand Medical News Jan 08, 2020 4 years, 11 months, 2 weeks, 1 day, 10 hours, 9 minutes ago
Oncology researchers at the
University College of London (
UCL) have identified how a subset of
immune cells are activated to kill cancerous cells, a finding in mice which could hold the key to new powerful therapies against
cancer.
The new study built on previous research, also led by Professors Sergio Quezada and Karl Peggs (both
UCL Cancer Institute), which found that following
immunotherapy some
CD4+ T cells, traditionally thought to be 'helper' and 'regulator'
immune cells, become cytotoxic and directly engage with and kill cancer cells. The study is published in the
Immunity journal.
The scientists examined the molecular and cellular mechanisms underpinning this activity, as part of an experimental study of
immunotherapy in mice, funded by
Cancer Research UK.
The UCL researchers found that
IL-2, a 'growth factor' for T cells and the 'transcription factor' Blimp-1 are responsible for initiating potent killer activity in
CD4+ T cells within cancerous tumours.
Professor Sergio Quezada, (UCL Cancer Institute), co-lead author told
Thailand Medical News, "We knew these i
mmune cells had the ability to proactively kill
cancer cells with incredible potency, but to maximise their potential, we needed to know how this mechanism was activated. Our discovery provides the evidence and rationale for utilising
Blimp-1 to maximise the anti-tumour activity of
CD4+ T cells.”
He added, "Work is now underway in our lab to develop new personalised cell therapies where the activity of
Blimp-1 can be maxed up to drive potent tumour control."
Typically,
T cells are a subset of lymphocytes (white blood cells), which play a key role in the body's
immune response. In
immunotherapy T cells are modified and used to attack
cancer. These cells move around our bodies, looking for infected cells and killing them. However,
T cells do not recognise most
cancers, since
cancers develop from our own tissues and appear normal to most
T cells. The main challenge with
T cell immunotherapy approaches is to find ways to direct
T cells to attack
cancer cells.
Professor Karl Peggs, (UCL
Cancer Institute), co-lead author, added, "Cellular therapies have only recently entered the mainstream in terms of clinical application. Much remains unknown regarding how best to optimise these therapies, particularly to enable better activity in solid organ
cancers. Our findi
ngs broaden our understanding of the regulators of
T cell differentiation, illuminating new elements that might be targeted to enhance therapeutic efficacy."
Research Information Manager at Cancer Research UK, Dr. Emily Farthing, said, "Research like this helps scientists better understand the intricacies of our
immune system and how it can be utilised to kill
cancer cells. This work in the lab adds to growing evidence for the potential of
immunotherapy and will hopefully lead to the development of more effective treatments for people affected by
cancer."
Reference: Regulatory T cells restrain IL-2- and Blimp-1-dependent acquisition of cytotoxic function by CD4+ T cells, Immunity (2020). DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2019.12.007
