Antibodies that Block TREM2 Eliminate Cancer

Jan, 2021 - By WMR

Over the years, the researchers have investigated which variables may affect the effectiveness of cancer immunotherapy.

The immune system is one of the most powerful tools people have in the fight against cancer. Now, the researchers have found a new and promising way to fight cancer. Immunotherapy is a type of cancer treatment that helps fight cancer. The immune system is a complex network of cells and proteins that protects the human body from infection and other diseases. Now, according to the research team from Washington University in St. Louis, blocking a certain protein increases the efficacy of standard immunotherapy drugs (in mice).

The animal study provides a new pathway that may increase the effectiveness of cancer immunotherapy. Over the years, the researchers have investigated which variables may affect the effectiveness of cancer immunotherapy. Checkpoint inhibitor therapy (a form of cancer immunotherapy) is a powerful tool in the fight against cancer. However, it does not work on all individuals. Now, the team has found a new and promising way to increase the efficacy of this type of immunotherapy. One particular factor the researchers have found is a protein named TREM2, which appears to play an important role in immune system suppression.

The hypothesis was that blocking TREM2 may improve immunotherapy outcomes. The team used animal models with sarcoma and divided them into four groups. One received a placebo, the second group received a checkpoint inhibitor, the third group received an antibody that blocked TREM2, and a fourth group received both. The team found that cancer in the group of mice, which received both a checkpoint inhibitor and an antibody, had completely disappeared. The researchers then targeted colorectal cancer (CRC) and found the same results. According to the team, this treatment will be selective for cancer and will not harm healthy cells. The research was published in August 2020 in the Cell journal.