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New alternative to chemotherapy? Immunological treatment for testicular cancer
Testicular cancer is one of the most common cancers in men, but can be successfully treated in a majority of cases. The side effects of the therapy, however, usually bring significant impairment of quality of life and often infertility with it. Possible alternatives to chemotherapy are therefore urgently needed. One possible approach here is immunological therapy.
Scientists from the Universities of Giessen and Monash (Australia) are working together on new immunological treatment options for testicular tumors, which could be an alternative to chemotherapy in the future. The first results of the research project are quite promising, according to the statement of Justus Liebig University Giessen (JLU). Severe side effects could be spared many testicular cancer patients thanks to such immunological therapy.
Researchers are looking for new treatments for testicular cancer. Immunological therapies could offer an alternative to chemotherapy in the future. (Image: joshya / fotolia.com) Tumor cell-specific and individualized treatment methods
"Testicular cancer is one of the most common cancers in men between the ages of 20 and 45," says the JLU. In 95 percent of the testicular cancer is cured at an early diagnosis and treatment. However, it is not uncommon for chemotherapy to be required, which causes infertility in around one-third of patients after treatment. In order to avoid these and other side effects of chemotherapies, research has been underway for some time now on the development of "tumor cell-specific and individualized treatment methods".
Immunochemistry of the testes examined
Together with Australian scientists from the University of Monash, JLU researchers are working to develop a new immunological treatment for testicular cancer. In a first funding period of the project, Dr. Ing. Britta Klein from the JLU has already investigated the immuno-characteristics of human testicular tumors as part of her dissertation. The German-Australian research cooperation (International Research Training Group) is now in the second funding period and the focus of research remains on the immune system. "Because the testes are very special in terms of its immunological environment," says the JLU.
Normally only few immune cells in the testicles
According to the researchers, the testicles belong to the so-called "immune-privileged organs". Due to the anatomical structures, the sperm developing in the testicles are protected to a great extent against external influences and also against the body's own immune system, explain the experts. Therefore, under normal conditions, only a few immune cells can be found in the testes - mainly in the form of so-called macrophages and mast cells and only to a limited extent lymphocytes.
Collapse of the immune privilege
According to the experts, in the case of patients with testicular tumors in most cases a prominent immigration or presence of different types of immune cells (primarily lymphocytes) is found in the testicles, which illustrates the collapse of the immune privilege. So far, however, remains unclear whether these lymphocytes are beneficial for the fight against tumors or rather support the testicular tumor in growth and survival.
Tissue samples from testicular tumors of various stages studied
Together, Dr. Britta Klein and Prof. Dr. med. Martin Bergmann of the JLU, Prof. dr. Hans-Christian Schuppe, Prof. dr. Wolfgang Weidner and Prof. Dr. med. Florian Wagenlehner from the University Hospital Gießen and Marburg and Prof. Dr. med. Sabine Kliesch from the University Hospital of Münster examined the tissue samples from testicular tumors of various stages. "It showed that certain highly specialized immune cell types are particularly involved in the infiltration of tumors," reports the JLU. Thus, even in the early stages of testicular tumors, so-called dendritic cells are to be detected as typical "guardian cells", while the antibody-producing lymphocytes (B cells) only appear in manifest tumors.
Testicular tumors create a specific milieu
The researchers also found that many signal and messenger substances are detectable in the vicinity of testicular tumors, "which can trigger, support and maintain inflammatory responses." This inflammatory environment could promote further growth and the spread of certain tumors. In joint follow-up research with experts in Australia (Prof. Kate Loveland, Ph.D., Monash University, Melbourne, Prof. Bruce Loveland, Ph.D., Burnet Institute, Melbourne, and Prof. Mark Hedger, Hudson Institute of Medical Research in Melbourne), it could be demonstrated that testicular tumor cells that grow in culture play a key role in the establishment of the surrounding environment.
Inflammation parameter interleukin-6 is very present in testicular tumors
The artificial testicular tumor cells, according to the researchers created a milieu that had a similar composition as the milieu of testicular tumor tissue samples. Therefore, it is quite possible that this inflammatory-promoting environment also has a tumor-supporting property in the case of testicular tumors. In addition, it has been shown that "a certain inflammatory parameter, the so-called interleukin-6, is very present in testicular tumors," reports the JLU. This could be an important factor for the growth and metastasis of the testicular tumors - a property of interleukin-6, which has been found according to the researchers already in conjunction with other tumor types (including prostate, ovarian and breast cancer).
Dr. According to Britta Klein, the results indicate that immunodiagnostic therapy may be an additional treatment option for testicular cancer patients. "The next step will be to investigate" whether blockade of the interleukin-6 signaling pathway affects growth and invasion Has testicular tumor cells. "(Fp)