And to defeat cancer, and to preserve immunity
A group of researchers from Cardiff University (Wales, UK), using mouse models, has developed a technique for destroying abnormal T-lymphocytes while preserving healthy cells necessary for a normal immune response of the body.
Lymphoma is a malignant tumor of T–lymphocytes, which normally form an important part of the immune system. This disease is less common than other forms of blood cancer, but more often than others it proceeds aggressively and is poorly treatable. In addition, existing treatment methods are based on the destruction of all T-lymphocytes, as a result of which the patient develops an immunodeficiency condition similar to that of AIDS. The key objective of the new tactics of T-cell lymphoma therapy is the destruction of cancer cells while preserving healthy T-lymphocytes.
T-lymphocytes recognize antigens using T-cell receptors – surface protein structures. The synthesis of these receptors is randomly encoded by two genes: C1 and C2. Thus, all T-lymphocytes of the body are a combination of cells that use C1 or C2 genes for receptor synthesis (T-cell receptor beta chain, TRBC1 or TRBC2). With the development of T-cell lymphoma, T-cells with only one of the types of receptors are involved in the process.
To prove their theory, the researchers have developed a method of targeted destruction of T-lymphocytes: an anti-TRBC1 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR), destroying only TRBC1, preserving healthy TRBC2 T-lymphocytes, which are sufficient to maintain cellular immunity.
On the basis of CAR T-cells, an experimental drug AUTO4 was created, selectively destroying lymphocytes with TRBC1 receptors.
The difficulty of treating T-cell lymphomas today lies in the inability to target cancer cells and preserve healthy ones. The finding of the authors of the study will help to preserve some of the healthy T-lymphocytes, preventing patients from developing immunodeficiency during treatment. Given that the data were obtained in vitro and in mouse models, there is a need to organize and conduct a large number of studies before introducing them into clinical practice in order to prove the effectiveness and safety of the technique for humans.
Article by Paul M. Maciocia et al. Targeting the T cell receptor β-chain constant region for immunotherapy of T cell malignancies is published in the journal Nature Medicine.
Aminat Adzhieva, portal "Eternal Youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru , based on EurekAlert: Targeting cancer without destroying healthy T-cells.