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Immunology Approach Could Treat Most Cancers

posted by martyb on Thursday January 23 2020, @12:36AM   Printer-friendly
from the finding-a-new-target dept.

takyon writes:

Immune discovery 'may treat all cancer'

A newly-discovered part of our immune system could be harnessed to treat all cancers, say scientists.

The Cardiff University team discovered a method of killing prostate, breast, lung and other cancers in lab tests.

The findings, published in Nature Immunology, have not been tested in patients, but the researchers say they have "enormous potential".

Experts said that although the work was still at an early stage, it was very exciting.

Also at Cardiff University:

Cardiff researchers have now discovered T-cells equipped with a new type of T-cell receptor (TCR) which recognises and kills most human cancer types, while ignoring healthy cells.

[...] [The] Cardiff study, published today in Nature Immunology, describes a unique TCR that can recognise many types of cancer via a single [human leukocyte antigen (HLA)]-like molecule called MR1.

Unlike HLA, MR1 does not vary in the human population - meaning it is a hugely attractive new target for immunotherapies.

Genome-wide CRISPR–Cas9 screening reveals ubiquitous T cell cancer targeting via the monomorphic MHC class I-related protein MR1 (DOI: 10.1038/s41590-019-0578-8) (DX)

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  • (Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 23 2020, @04:48AM (7 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 23 2020, @04:48AM (#947237)

    If I poke you in the arm over and over I bet you get skin cancer in that spot faster than smoking would give you lung cancer (if at all).

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  • (Score: 1) by khallow on Thursday January 23 2020, @05:01AM (6 children)

    by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Thursday January 23 2020, @05:01AM (#947240) Journal

    If I poke you in the arm over and over I bet you get skin cancer in that spot faster than smoking would give you lung cancer (if at all).

    That would be a valid point to make and something that could be tested. So what's the incident of cancer for poor fitting shoes and clothing? If I wear ill-fitting shoes for 40 years will that give me more than a 10% chance of getting skin cancer?

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 23 2020, @05:14AM (5 children)

      by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 23 2020, @05:14AM (#947246)

      Sure, cancers commonly form from chronic wounds, eg: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5701580/ [nih.gov]

      • (Score: 1) by khallow on Thursday January 23 2020, @06:03AM (4 children)

        by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Thursday January 23 2020, @06:03AM (#947269) Journal

        Its incidence is estimated to range from 1% to 2% of all burn scars.

        Still shy of 10-25%.

        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 23 2020, @06:08AM (3 children)

          by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 23 2020, @06:08AM (#947272)

          Yes, it is not limited to burns. And cancers forming from chronic wounds care not limited to this type. Wound -> cell division -> earlier cancer.

          • (Score: 1) by khallow on Thursday January 23 2020, @12:59PM (2 children)

            by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Thursday January 23 2020, @12:59PM (#947356) Journal

            Yes, it is not limited to burns.

            Point is you're still an order of magnitude shy.