Medical researchers at Tel Aviv University (TAU) have discovered a way to help the body fight cancerous tumors that are even resistant to prevailing forms of immunotherapy.
The researchers found that reversing a mechanism preventing the immune system from attacking tumors can stimulate the immune system to fight the cancer cells.
The breakthrough was led by Prof. Carmit Levy, Prof. Yaron Carmi, and PhD student Avishai Maliah from TAU’s Faculty of Medical & Health Sciences. The paper was published in the leading journal Nature Communications.
Levy said the discovery occurred at his lab, which studies both cancer and the effects of ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun on our skin and body – both of which are known to suppress the immune system.
“Cancer suppresses approaching immune cells and solar radiation suppresses the skin’s immune system,” he explained.
“While in most cases, we cancer researchers worldwide focus on the tumor and look for mechanisms by which cancer inhibits the immune system, here we proposed a different approach: investigating how UV exposure suppresses the immune system and applying our findings to cancer. The discovery of a mechanism that inhibits the immune system opens new paths for innovative therapies.”
The research was recently published in the leading journal Nature Communications.
