Researchers at the University of Trento have made significant strides in the fight against prostate cancer, a type of tumor that has been notoriously difficult to treat due to its poor immune response. The study, published in the scientific journal “Embo Journal,” outlines a new approach to addressing the disease by focusing on the role of inflammation in promoting anti-tumor immunity.
Led by Andrea Lunardi and Alessandro Alaimo of the Armenise-Harvard Laboratory of Cancer Biology & Genetics at the Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology, the research highlights the importance of collaboration between research and clinical practice. The team, which includes clinicians such as Mattia Barbareschi, Giovanni Bertalot, and Francesco Giuseppe Carbone from Santa Chiara Hospital in Trento, has been able to shed light on the mechanisms behind the immune response in prostate cancer.
Orazio Caffo, director of Medical Oncology in Trento, has also played a key role in the study, receiving funding from the Pezcoller Foundation for a project on prostate cancer. The collaboration extends to other institutions, including the universities of Bern, Turin, Insubria, Milan San Raffaele, and the Venetian Oncology Institute of Padua.
The University of Trento is further investing in the research by supporting Elisa Marmocchi, a doctoral scholarship recipient, who will continue to work on the same theme for the next three years. With these developments, the future looks promising for improving the treatment of prostate cancer and enhancing the outcomes for patients.