![]() “Slowing or reversing T cell exhaustion is a huge focus in cancer research, and many researchers are working on different ways to accomplish this,” said Jennifer Hope, lead author of the study. Researchers at Sanford Burnham Prebys in California studied T cell exhaustion in the setting of melanoma and discovered that a protein called P-selectin glycoprotein ligand-1 (PSGL-1), found on the surface of T cells, is key to T cell exhaustion. For immunotherapy to be effective requires T cells to be in peak – non-exhausted – condition. ![]() Immunotherapy is the umbrella term for a range of biologically based cancer treatments that uses T cells to fight cancer by boosting the immune system’s ability to stop or slow cancer cell growth or help it recognize and destroy cancer cells. ![]() When this happens, T cells don’t produce as many immune-response-stimulating proteins and are less effective at killing cancer tumor cells. ![]() But they can only fight for so long before they become exhausted. ![]() A new study has identified a way of reviving exhausted T cells so they’re ready to fight again, improving the effectiveness of cancer immunotherapy.Ī type of white blood cell, T cells play an important role in protecting the body from foreign invaders such as cancer. Constantly fighting cancer or other diseases can exhaust our immune system’s T cells, impeding their ability to kill invaders. ![]()
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