Why your immune system is key in the fight against cancer

Immune System – Game Changer

We are on the brink of health revolution. Cancer physicians are of the opinion that the immune treatment is a game changer and a typical option for chemotherapy, radiation and surgery for treating some types of cancer.Matured immune system could have great control on cancer risk. Researchers have now got the understanding that multiple genetic mutations could be the main reason in the development of cancer. CRM Group Leader Clare Blackburn and the team at the University of Dundee have observed that the immune system plays a major role in the ailment of cancer, than believed earlier.Research conducted by Professor Thea Newman along with Drs. Sam Palmer and Luca Albergante, have reached the conclusion that a mathematical model connected with age decline in production, a kind of immune cell is considered as T cells to the growing incidence of cancer linked with age. It was observed that when tested on data from 2 million patients suffering from cancer, in the age group of 18 and 70, the model projected cancer occurrence enhanced the earlier view of amassing mutations. With these findings, it was concluded that the deterioration in the immune system linked with age resulting in the risk of cancer to be strongly associated

Mixture of Responses & Reactions

The immune system is so called since it tends to shield the body from various ailments and infection initiated by bacteria, viruses parasites or fungi. It is a mixture of responses and reactions which the body tends to make to the infected and damaged cells. The immune system is vital to cancer patient in several ways:

• The immune system can get weak with cancer 
• The treatment could weaken the immune system 
• The immune system could assist in fighting cancer. Receptors CD40

Researchers at the University of Southampton had portrayed how stimulating a particular area on the surface of immune cells could be targeted with antibodies to help in combating against cancer. An innovative work relates to a receptor known as CD40 which is found on the surface of some immune cells that controls their activity. These receptors are isolated over the surface of inactive immune cells. However they need to be determined and assembled to great complexes to trigger an immune response to fight cancer. Researchers are of the opinion that accurate clustering is essential to stimulate and activate reaction to kick-start the immune cells while they combat diseases particularly cancer.

Latest Immune Boosting Drug

The process of the immune system of the body to identify and eliminate cancer cells is greatly altering the manner in which the ailment is handled and treated. Cancer portrays unique markers which could be identified by immune system. However cancer often prevents the attack of the immune system by placing the immune cells into a state of exhaustion. Latest immune-boosting drug most of which have their roots in Southampton laboratories were capable of reversing the capability of cancer cell to exhaust the immune cells and kick start them. Though the results were very encouraging in clinical trials and many patients had been cured, it would not work for all patients. The Southampton researchers had an improved comprehension of how these immune-stimulating antibodies tend to function and would enhance results for more patients.

Clustering Receptors

Scientists from the University’s Antibody and Vaccine Group had carried out the pre-clinical studycentred at the new Centre for Cancer Immunology together with researchers in Biological Science and the University of Hamburg. The study, published in Cancer Cell, also discovered that the ability of antibody drugs binding to the CD40 protein, clustering the receptors of the immune cells seemed to be the main requirements. This would help in waking up the immune cell to combat the disease. Senior author on the paper and Head of the Antibody and Vaccine Group at the University of Southampton, Professor Martin Glennie commented that `understanding the complex dynamics between where and how an antibody drug engages an immune cell is important in designing more efficient treatment’.He further commented that `it is the combination of the location of CD40 which seems to be the real sweet spot of activity together with the ability to cluster the immune cell’s receptors. This gives such a potent response; one that we hope will be translated into the clinic to benefit patients’.

Molecules in Action 

The former member of the Antibody and Vaccine Group in Southampton, had stated that this innovation would highlight how the group of scientist together with their knowledge in various facets of cellular and molecular biology, structural determination, together with modelling are essential in manipulating the complex issues involved in engineering the next generation of drugs for cancer. Dr. Ivo Tews, of Biological Sciences, had commented that there is nothing like seeing these molecules in action. With the assistance of Hamburg University, they have been capable of discovering the molecular structures and identify where the action lies.