Associate Professor Marian Burr. Photo: Jamie Kidston/ANU
Associate Professor Marian Burr. Photo: Jamie Kidston/ANU - Researchers from The Australian National University (ANU) and the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre have discovered how a type of blood cancer, known as acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), can "switch off" a protein known as MHC class II, causing the leukaemia to become invisible to the immune system. The molecular switch allows cancer cells to evade recognition and prevents the immune system from destroying them. The researchers believe that drugs targeting this molecular switch could be used to turn MHC class II back on again. By restoring MHC class II to the surface of the AML cells, the cancer is once again visible to the immune system and can be detected and eliminated. The findings, published in Cancer Cell , could unlock new and more effective therapies to treat AML patients who have relapsed after a bone marrow transplantation. It's hoped the principles of this research could serve as the foundation to treat a range of other cancers, including melanoma.
TO READ THIS ARTICLE, CREATE YOUR ACCOUNT
And extend your reading, free of charge and with no commitment.
