NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Cancer cells send a message to prevent the immune system from attacking them, researchers found.
The study, conducted by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine in California and published by Journal Nature, found that some cancer cells use the same signals as healthy cells to prevent immune cells from attacking them.
According to the researchers, cancer cells are usually surrounded by immune cells, but they do not attack them, and found that some proteins on the surface of cancer cells tell them not to do so.
They also found that the source of the signal that says "do not devour me" is a protein called xD24.
Researchers hope the new discovery will help treat cancer patients, especially ovarian and breast cancers, that affect thousands of women each year.
| Cancer cells use proteins to protect them (Deutsche Welle) |
During the study, the researchers blocked the signal of SD-24 in human human cancer cells in mice, and found that this allowed the immune cells to attack them, leading to a decline in the growth of cancer cells and increased chances of survival of mice under test.
Researchers from the same university had previously discovered that cancer cells were using other types of proteins to protect them, and they had made an antidote to the CD-47 protein, which is now under trial.
Amira Barkal, a doctoral student in medicine and lead author of the study, said that with antibodies to the Cd24 protein, we could remove the shield that protects cancer cells, allowing immune cells to effectively remove cancer.
"Further research is needed to find out who can benefit from the anti-DDT drug," she said. She was pleased with the results of the study, which will enable doctors to find treatments for deadly cancers, including ovarian and breast cancers that are difficult to treat.
The researchers focused on discovering the extent to which the effects of anti-DDT drugs in the growth of breast cancer and ovarian blindness on treatment, believing that it represents the main barrier to the immunity of these deadly cancers.