Breaking news of an exciting scientific breakthrough could be about to rock the world of cancer treatment. Cancer Research UK has indicated that findings from Austrian researchers could show that the scientific community is heading in the right direction to make just such a discovery. Described as ‘tantalising’, the breakthrough could see the development of a pill that helps the body’s own immune system to kill off the cancer cells in a tumour.
The researchers say that they are holding on to the hope of this ‘holy grail’ of all cancer treatments. They have now identified a Cbi-b molecule, which effectively stops tumour metastasis, meaning the spreading of cancer from any organ to the adjacent part. Tumour metastasis is the main reason that people die from cancer, as the disease spreads throughout the body and damages internal organs, causing them to fail.
Using this information, the scientists are hoping to develop a pill that wakes up the immune system’s TAM-receptors and makes them kill the cancer cells. Professor Josef Penninger of the Vienna Austrian Academy of Sciences said that the results that have been discovered hold the promise that it may in fact be possible to develop TAM inhibitors or Cbi-b to empower the body’s own immune system to kill the metastases of cancer.
More research is needed to be done, however, to advance the findings in this field, and also to test for any possible side effects.
The immune system is a powerful tool in the process because its main job is to identify and fight harmful invasions to the body. It does, in fact, have the ability to kill of tumours but is currently held back by so-called molecular ‘brakes’. The study has effectively found a way to take the foot off one of those brakes, potentially allowing the immune system to swoop in and do its job.
