Research: Cancer ‘switch’ flags new drugs fight

The master controller responsible for flicking the “switch” that allows a cancer to shield itself from the immune system has been discovered by a team of international researchers. The discovery paves the way for immunotherapy drugs targeting a wide range of common cancers. The international team, led by Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne, identified a “red traffic light” on the surface of tumour cells, a protein called PD-L1, which works to stop it being attacked by the immune system so it can grow and multiply. While this protein normally acted as an “off switch” to prevent overreactions that lead to auto-immune disease, the team found an oversupply of the PD-L1 protein on the cell surface allowed the cancer to fly below the radar of the immune system.

Courier Mail, 19/08/2017, Page 21; Daily Telegraph, 19/08/2017, Page 12; Herald Sun, 19/08/2017, Page 33

#Research #Treatment #Cancer #Tumour #ImmuneSystem