Even though most researchers have been focusing on Covid-19 over the past months, the Luxembourgish cancer research team has reported a significant new discovery. Immunotherapy is considered a new and promising treatment for cancer patients, but unfortunately only about 30% react to the method.
Dr Guy Bercham and Dr Bassam Janji have spent the last three years investigating the immune system and looking for ways to kickstart it. Dr Berchem notes: "Immunotherapy is a crucial method, since it does not attack tumours the way chemotherapy does and is not accompanied by as many side effects. What we are trying to do is help the immune system identify the tumours for what they are."
In 60 to 70% of cases, the therapy method does not show any sign of progress. This is mostly due to the difference between "cold" and "warm" tumours, the former not containing any immune cells which could be activated.
Cancer cells usually hide from the immune system through the mechanism of autophagy. Both researchers managed to deactivate this process across numerous experiments with the use of a specific molecule, leading to a major discovery. Dr Janji explains: "By blocking autophagy, a process long-known to scientists, we can transform cold tumours into warm ones."
The project was supported by the cancer foundation and the national research fund, the results being published in the scientific journal "ScienceAdvances". Currently, scientists are testing whether or not the methodology has any toxic repercussions for the human body. If not, human trials on cancer patients could begin in the not too distant future.
