London, Nov 2 : In a new clinical trial, a drug induced an integrated immune response in the tumours of patients with cancer types that do not usually respond to immunotherapy, say researchers.
According to the study, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the team hopes the potential treatment might make such tumours more responsive to the class of drugs known as immune checkpoint inhibitors.
“Checkpoint inhibitors release natural brakes on the immune system, freeing it to find and destroy cancer cells. But they generally have not been effective against cancer cells with low levels of genetic mutation,” said study author Tobias Janowitz from the University of Cambridge in the UK.
Cancer immunotherapies, which empower patients’ immune systems to eliminate tumours, are revolutionizing cancer treatment. Many patients respond well to these treatments, sometimes experiencing long-lasting remissions.
But some cancers remain difficult to treat with immunotherapy, and expanding the impact of the approach is a high priority.
In this clinical trial, the research team interrupted that immunosuppressive pathway with a drug called plerixafor.
Related stories
Subscribe
- Never miss a story with notifications
- Gain full access to our premium content
- Browse free from up to 5 devices at once
Latest stories