Cancer The pill against metastases?

Researchers discover new way to cancer therapy in metastases

02/21/2014

If metastases develop in the case of cancer, the chances of recovery for the patients are often rather poor. However, the research group of Josef Penninger at the Institute of Molecular Biotechnology (IMBA) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW) has discovered a new mechanism by which the body's own immune cells can be stimulated to combat metastases. The pill against metastases would be theoretically possible on this basis, so the groundbreaking communication.

The treatment of metastases is one of the „biggest challenges in tumor therapy“, write the molecular biologist Josef Penninger and his team in a recent press release. Here, the researchers have discovered a novel mechanism that allows immune cells to attack the metastatic tumors. This activates the body's own cells in the fight against cancer. The results could „the foundation for the development of a pillto be against metastases“, writes the Institute for Molecular Biotechnology in its latest release.

Use immune system for cancer therapy
Not only in infectious diseases, but also in the detection and destruction of cancer cells plays the immune system according to the researchers an important role. This approach is being pursued more intensively in the treatment of cancer, for example cancer immunotherapy, which involves the whole body in the fight against the disease, is one of the specialist magazines „Science“ Penninger and colleagues report that this was the scientific breakthrough of 2013. The Austrian scientists have now shown - in cooperation with colleagues from Australia and Germany - that the „Protein Cbl-b represents a kind of molecular brake for immune cells“, thus the metastases are not properly addressed. „If this brake is released, the so-called natural killer cells (NK cells) can effectively combat tumor metastases“, the researchers write. First author Magdalena Paolino explained that when switching off the protein Cbl-b in the NK cells, „These are sharpened, so to speak, and significantly reduce the metastases of breast tumors and melanomas.“

Holy Grail of Cancer Therapy
According to the scientists, the scientists have not only succeeded, „to identify a path through which Cbl-b regulates the function of the NK cells“, but together with the Lead Discovery Center of the Max Planck Society in Dortmund, they have also developed a molecule that blocks the responsible receptors. „If we selectively block these receptors with our molecule - administered orally or injected - the metastases in our genetic models are significantly reduced“, stressed Magdalena Paolino. The findings indicate that it will be possible in the future to stimulate the immune system by means of special medicines to destroy the cancerous metastases. „Such a development would be a holy grail of cancer therapy“, the researchers summarize. However, would have „in spite of everything further experiments follow, in order to deepen our knowledge and to exclude possible side effects“, explained Josef Penninger.

As metastases are a major cause of death for cancer patients, the development of an effective therapeutic approach would likely significantly reduce the number of cancer deaths. It is also conceivable that targeted activation of the immune system will generally make cancer relatively easy to treat in the future. However, clinical studies are now required to review the newly discovered mechanism for the treatment of metastatic tumors and to identify potential risks and side effects. (Fp)