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Scientists at UC San Francisco discovered a new method for controlling the natural killer cells in the immune system through tissue implants and cell therapies that can enhance immunotherapies’ ability to detect/destroy cancerous tumors.

A major challenge with regenerative medicine is the immune system’s ability to reject implanted tissues recognized as non-self. Immunological rejection is a significant obstacle that stunts success in stem cell transplantation. Overcoming immune rejection of transplanted stem cells can support the development of off-the-shelf immunotherapies that can be used in any patient.

Researchers from the University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center and their College of Engineering teamed up to develop a microfluidic chip that is capable of seizing natural killer (NK) immune cells and then harvesting the NK cells’ cancer-killing abilities.

Natural killer cells are part of the innate immune system and have a robust anti-tumor function. NK cells demonstrate tumor cytotoxicity without the need for activation, as is the case for T cells.

Yale scientists have investigated how a subset of specific T cells survive a microenvironment within a tumor throughout the progression of the cancer.

 Precursor stem-like CD8⁺ T cells help to sustain anti-tumor T cell responses and promote effective immunotherapy treatment response. Although tumor cell signals cause T cells to differentiate, making them ineffective against tumors, a population of the stem-like T cells is maintained.

A study has shown that cancer patients’ white blood cells were genetically engineered to enable T-cells to identify and destroy the cancer cells.

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cells are immune cells that have been genetically engineered to generate a T-cell receptor capable of targeting specific cancer cells. A patient’s own T cells are collected, modified, then infused back into the patient. Although very promising results and successes have been noted for the application of CAR-T cell therapy for blood cancers, it is not without significant challenges to overcome.

A report out of Nature Communications suggests a correlation between the use of low TMB and an increased survival rate among glioblastoma patients may be due to changes in the immunological status of tumor post therapy.

Tumor mutation burden (TMB) is the frequency of certain protein (tumor antigen)-altering mutations within tumor genes. The production of more tumor antigens increases the chances that one or more of those can be recognized and reacted upon by the immune system. Highly mutated tumors produce many antigens that can stimulate T cells to respond to the antigens.