JERUSALEM, March 27 (Xinhua) -- An international research group has developed a new method to help the immune system recognize and attack cancer cells by leading them to expose themselves, Israel's Weizmann Institute of Science (WIS) said in a statement on Thursday.
Cancer cells typically evade detection by displaying very few suspicious proteins that the immune system can identify and target, WIS said in a statement.
However, in a new study published in the journal Cancer Cell, the researchers disrupted protein production in cancer cells, forcing them to produce abnormal, recognizable proteins, which could trigger a strong immune response capable of destroying cancer cells.
In mouse models, the approach has been proven effective in activating immune cells to target and destroy cancer cells, inhibiting tumor growth.
Combining this method with existing immunotherapy has led to tumor eradication in around 40 percent of the mice, Yardena Samuels, who led the research, said in the statement.
Researchers believe that this breakthrough could improve cancer treatments, especially for patients with cancers that have few mutations.
The team is now exploring how this technique can be applied to other types of cancer, including breast, pancreas, and colorectal cancers, expecting it to pave the way for more effective, broader cancer therapies in the future. ■
