- Researchers are reporting that some early-stage cancer cells activate a gene that helps hide them from the body’s immune response.
- They say that identifying this uptick in gene expression among cancer cells could lead to new pathways for early diagnosis and future treatment of colon cancer.
- Experts say more research is needed, however, to confirm these findings and explore new potential therapies and treatments.
Early-stage colon cancer cells use special strategies to evade the body’s natural immune responses to become larger tumors, according to a
At the most fundamental level, cancer is what happens when cell division runs amok and cells grow uncontrollably.
One of the jobs of the body’s immune system is to recognize and remove these abnormal cells before they proliferate too much.
Identifying where the immune system falters in handling cancerous cells, therefore, is one of the most important areas of study for future cancer treatment and one of the targets of next-generation cancer drugs.
Looking at colon cancer tumors implanted in mice, the researchers found early-stage cancer cells produced and activated a gene called SOX17, which helps hide these cells from the immune system.
In addition, they said SOX17 activation ensures cells will produce fewer molecules called MHC proteins, which are proteins that ensure cancer-associated antigens are visible to the immune system. SOX17 can also stop the production of key receptors that would instruct the immune system to order these cancerous cells to self-destruct.
“Activation of the SOX17 program in the earliest innings of colorectal cancer formation is a critical step that shields precancerous cells from the immune system. If we can inhibit the SOX17 program, we might be better able to prevent colon cancer, particularly in patients that are prone to developing colon polyps,” said Dr, Omer Yilmaz, a study author and an…
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