An Italian study carried out on mice and published in Cancer Cell demonstrated the efficacy of 6-Thioguanine.
Discovered the weak point of a type of colorectal cancer, the second leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. It now becomes possible to transform some of these, refractory to immunotherapy treatmentsin more vulnerable and therefore treatable forms.
The result, obtained on the topi, it’s all Italian. The study, published in the journal Cancer Cell, which also dedicated the cover to him, is in fact the result of a collaboration between University of Turin e Foundation Institute of Molecular Oncology (Ifom) of Milanwith the contribution of the Universities of Milan and Palermo, the Cancer Institute of Candiolo, the National Institute of Molecular Genetics Ingm of Milan, the Asst Grande Ospedale Niguarda of Milan and the Cogentech company.
Immunotherapy is an extremely promising therapeutic option for many tumor pathologies, but for colorectal cancer its use is severely limited. This is because, in 95% of cases, the tumors are refractory to this treatment and are in fact defined “cold”. The difference is probably due to DNA repair mechanisms.
“In most patients these mechanisms are still functioning – he explains Alberto Bardelli, research director at Ifom and professor at the University of Turin, who coordinated the study -. Only in 5% of patients the tumor has lost this mechanism and therefore produces altered proteins that activate the immune system”.
Trying to convert “cold” tumors into tumors “hot”the researchers led by Vito Amodio, by Ifom, the University of Turin and the Candiolo Institute, have discovered that some of the most resistant tumors hide the most vulnerable parts. Using in mice the 6-Tioguaninaa drug already used in the treatment of some leukemia, have succeeded in enlarging the “hot” areas of these tumors, which then become treatable with immunotherapy. The authors of the study are now investigating whether the results obtained in laboratory animals can be extended to humans.
Nurse Times editorial team
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