Researchers have revealed how tumor cells interact with the immune system in ovarian cancer. Every year, roughly 550 women develop ovarian cancer in Finland.
Ovarian Cancer | Cancer in the Ovaries - Causes, Symptoms, Treatment & Prevention
Ovarian cancer affects both the ovaries and is referred to as the 'silent killer' as the symptoms go unnoticed until the disease advances.
Ovarian cancer affects both the ovaries and is referred to as the 'silent killer' as the symptoms go unnoticed until the disease advances.
‘Researchers have discovered how ovarian cancer hides from the body’s immune system.’
Cancer can only develop and progress when the tumor cells are able to hide from the body’s immune system. Cancer immunotherapies, which boost the body’s immune defense against cancer, have emerged as promising therapies in multiple tumor types. However, the effectiveness of immunotherapies against ovarian cancer has remained modest. This is mainly since the mechanisms how ovarian cancer cells hide from the immune system have been unknown. Utilizing a novel imaging technology, the researchers characterized more than 110,000 individual cells from clinical ovarian cancer samples. The researchers investigated how the genetic characteristics of ovarian cancer the shape human immune system, and how tumor and immune cells communicate with each other.
“With the help of this revolutionary imaging technology and advanced data analysis, we were able to study individual tumor cells, their functional properties and interactions with unprecedented precision,” says Associate Professor Anniina Färkkilä, the corresponding author of the study.
Quiz on Ovarian Cancer / Cancer of the Ovary
Ovarian cancer is a cancer that does not produce definite symptoms. Here are a few questions that you could attempt to answer to check your knowledge on ovarian cancer.
Ovarian cancer is a cancer that does not produce definite symptoms. Here are a few questions that you could attempt to answer to check your knowledge on ovarian cancer.
“By studying individual cells directly in the tissue, we demonstrated how cancer cells hide in different ways, depending on the specific gene mutation. We found that the body’s immune system is more effective against tumors with a mutation in BRCA1/2 genes. By contrast, tumours without such mutations have a connective tissue barrier prohibiting the interaction between the cancer and immune cells,” says Doctoral Researcher Inga-Maria Launonen, BM.
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Online Tool That Helps Ovarian Cancer Patients
Online tool that helps ovarian cancer patients feel more in control of symptoms has been developed by the researchers of the University of Pittsburgh.
Online tool that helps ovarian cancer patients feel more in control of symptoms has been developed by the researchers of the University of Pittsburgh.
“By increasing our understanding of how tumour genes trick the immune system, we will be able to develop more effective ways to activate the body’s own immune defences to kill the cancer cells,” Inga-Maria says.
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Genetic Mutation Puts High-risk Women for Ovarian Cancer
New study findings hold potential for predicting many years in advance which women with the BRCA-1mutation will develop ovarian cancer.
New study findings hold potential for predicting many years in advance which women with the BRCA-1mutation will develop ovarian cancer.
The results of the study confirm the significance of the interaction between tumor and immune cells in identifying new and more effective therapies as well as in choosing the right therapy for each patient.
“Our findings will enable us to tailor precision immuno- and combination therapies that have the potential to even cure ovarian cancer in the future,” Färkkilä says.
The study was published in the esteemed Nature Communications journal.
Source-Eurekalert
