Malignant mesothelioma is a solid tumor that is extremely difficult to treat. Though immunotherapy and other innovations have been effective in treating many challenging cancers, they have yielded only modest responses in mesothelioma, as well as other solid tumors. Now researchers from the University of California, Davis and Indiana University believe they may have found a ‘kill switch’ that will lead to improved outcomes.
Researchers’ Strategy May Unlock the Mystery of Killing Mesothelioma Cells
According to a study published in the journal Cell Death & Differentiation, the researchers identified a way to destroy vessels that control access to solid tumors like malignant mesothelioma, thus enabling immunotherapy and other treatments to reach the heart of the cell. Their approach essentially triggers a ‘timer bomb’ on cells called Fas, or CD95, that line the blood vessels leading to the tumor.
The researchers say that when activated by the right antibody, the Fas cells in solid tumors like mesothelioma trigger these liner cells’ death, thus creating a vulnerability in the cell that immunotherapy drugs can take advantage of. The group says that in tests using both mouse models and human cell lines, they have identified specific antibodies that trigger the Fas cells’ self-implosion.
Immunologist Explains How Antibodies Can Lead to Mesothelioma Cell Death
Fas has previously been identified as being highly expressed in many mesothelioma cell lines, which makes the researchers’ findings particularly promising for anyone diagnosed with the rare asbestos-related disease. According to immunologist and senior author of the study Jogender Tushir-Singh, “Previous efforts to target this receptor have been unsuccessful. But now that we’ve identified this epitope, there could be a therapeutic path forward to target Fas in tumors.”
According to the researchers, this eliminates the issue that previously existed in solid tumors like malignant mesothelioma. “These are often called cold tumors because immune cells simply cannot penetrate the microenvironments to provide a therapeutic effect. It doesn’t matter how well we engineer the immune receptor activating antibodies and T cells if they cannot get close to the tumor cells.” Their hope is that once Fas cells are killed, the door to the rest of the tumor will be opened allowing access by cancer therapies like CAR-T that have proven effective in other cancers.
If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma, this type of research offers hope. For more information, contact the Patient Advocates at Mesothelioma.net today at 1-800-692-8608.
