Drug Target Review: Pinpointing function in cancer T cells could be new immunotherapy
UC research has found that increasing a certain function in cancer T cells could mean a new therapy
A previously unknown T cell mechanism that could explain the reason behind decreased immune function in cancer patients has been discovered. According to University of Cincinnati researchers, their finding may present a new immunotherapeutic target for patients with head and neck cancers.
The study, led by Laura Conforti and Ameet Chimote, in the Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, UC Department of Internal Medicine, revealed that a reduced interaction between a molecule called calmodulin and the ion channel KCa3.1 in the immune cells of cancer patients plays an important role in the limited function of these cells. The team performed experiments on cytotoxic T cells taken from the blood of patients with head and neck cancer.
Featured photo courtesy of Laura Conforti and Ameet Chimote.
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