Scientists may have found key to treating hidden cancer growths
Scientists may have discovered how pancreatic cancer, the so-called “silent killer,” hides from the immune system and how disrupting this process could help tumors shrink.
In a recent study, researchers from the University of Würzburg in Germany found that the cancer gene MYC, which helps cancer cells grow, also camouflages tumors by suppressing the alarm signals that normally activate the immune system and attack the tumor.
But by blocking this mechanism in animals, researchers found a dramatic reduction in tumors, suggesting a new way in which cancer might be exposed to the body’s own defenses.
The study was led by Martin Eilers as part of the Cancer Grand Challenges KOODAC research team. He said: “Pancreatic tumors with normal MYC increased 24-fold in size within 28 days, while tumors with the defective MYC protein collapsed and shrunk by 94 per cent in the same period – but only if the animals’ immune systems were intact.”
Mr Eilers said the findings opened promising new avenues for treating cancer, adding that future drugs could be used to make tumors visible and vulnerable to the body’s immune system without damaging healthy cells.
Pancreatic cancer is the fifth biggest killer of cancer in the UK, with around 10,000 deaths each year. It has the lowest survival rate of all common cancers; The five-year survival rate is less than 7 percent.
It’s called the “silent killer” because patients’ symptoms often appear after the disease has progressed to a stage where treatment options are limited.
MYC plays an important role in cancer and is activated in up to 70 percent of human cancers, according to previous research.
The Grand Challenges Against Cancer KOODAC team is funded in 2024 to combat childhood solid tumors.
He is developing innovative ways to target proteins that drive tumor growth, and the study’s findings will be used by the team to design potential new treatments for MYC-driven cancers in children.
The director of the team, Dr. David Scott said: “Cancer Grand Challenges exists to support international teams like KOODAC who are pushing the boundaries of what we know about cancer.
“Studies like this show that uncovering the mechanisms tumors use to hide from the immune system can open new possibilities not only for adult cancers, but also for childhood cancers, which is the focus of the KOODAC team.
“This is an encouraging example of how international collaboration and diverse expertise can help tackle some of the toughest challenges in cancer research.”
