New strategy to search for and destroy leukemia stem cells.
Posted by giorgiobertin on February 27, 2024
Scientists at City of Hope, one of the largest cancer research and treatment organizations in the United States, have devised an innovative approach to target and destroy hard-to-kill leukemia stem cells.
CREDIT IMAGE: JOHN WILLIAMS, PH.D., LAB / CITY OF HOPE
L‘type II interferon (IFNγ), a substance produced by immune cells, interrupts the ability of leukemia stem cells to divide and spread cancer. However, IFNγ also stimulates CD38, a protein that suppresses the ability of immune cells to mount a response against infections.
To overcome this challenge, researchers have designed an antibody that involves T cells called CD38-BIONIC which creates a bridge between T cells and CD38-expressing leukemia stem cells, allowing the immune system to kill tumor cells. Equally important, the approach did not harm healthy early blood stem cells or immune cells in human tissues or mouse models of acute myeloid leukemia.
When leukemia invades the bone marrow, it produces abnormal early blood cells called blasts that are CD38-positive. These split quickly and are easy to hit. In contrast, cancer-forming leukemia stem cells stubbornly resist treatment and are CD38 negative.
In the present study, CD38-BIONIC binds to CD38-positive blasts. This triggers T cells to release IFNγ, which converts immature leukemia stem cells from CD38 negative to CD38 positive. In one fell swoop, the engineered antibody unmasks all leukemia cells, exposing them to the treatment.
This treatment method could be less toxic and effective for elderly and ill patients who cannot undergo stem cell transplants.
Read abstract of the article:
CD38-directed, single-chain T cell-engager targets leukemia stem cells through IFNγ-induced CD38 expression
Mariam Murtadha, Miso Park, Yinghui Zhu, Enrico Caserta, Ottavio Napolitano, Theophilus Tandoh, Milad Moloudizargari,. et al.
Blood 2024; blood.2023021570. doi:
Source: City of Hope
This entry was posted on febbraio 27, 2024 a 6:15 am and is filed under News-ricerca.
Contrassegnato da tag: ematologia, immunologia, oncologia, staminali. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
You can leave a response, oppure trackback from your own site.