Immune System-What's Your Role Here?

Researchers at University of Pennsylvania's Abramson Cancer Center have discovered a novel way of treating pancreatic cancer by activating the immune system to destroy the cancer's scaffolding.  This was tested in a small group of patients with advanced pancreatic cancer and several patients had positive results with their tumors shrinking substantially.

Rather than the immune system needing to attack the cancer directly to be effective, attacking the dense tissues surrounding the cancer is an approach, similar to attacking a brick wall by dissolving the mortar in the wall.

The immune system was able to eat away at this tissue surrounding the cancer and tumors fell apart as a result of that assault.

However, when looking at post-treatment tumor samples, researchers found there were no T cells to be seen.  Instead, there was an abundance of another white blood cell known as macrophages.  Macrophages were attacking what is known as the supporting tissue around the tumor called the tumor stroma.  Researchers used a cell surface receptor called CD40 antibodies to teach the macrophages to attack the tumor.  T cells can't seem to get into the tumor or its surrounding tissue because of the density and hostility of the area surrounding pancreatic cancer.  They are now working on a way to supercharge the macrophages response and to get the T cells into the tumor's microenvironment.

So basically, if scientists can get T-cells and the macrophages to double team the tumor, they could overpower the tumor.  Let's hope this trial continues and that scientists can figure out how to overpower these tumors.