Tumours contain the seeds of their own destruction

Scientists at UCL have made a groundbreaking discovery in understanding how the genetic complexity of tumours can be recognised and exploited by the immune system, even when the disease is at its most advanced stages. The findings, by researchers funded by Cancer Research UK and the Rosetrees Trust, could guide future immunotherapies and improve the way existing immunotherapy drugs are used. As a tumour develops, the diversity of its genetic faults can be flagged on the cancer cell surface, as unique mutations appear in different parts of the tumour. Crucially, by analysing data from hundreds of patients from previous studies, researchers found that some of these flags - known as antigens - represent the very earliest mutations of the disease and are displayed on all cells in the tumour, rather than a subset of tumour cells. Then in the lab, they isolated specialised immune cells, called T-cells, from samples of two patients with lung cancer that can recognise these common flags present on every tumour cell. Although they have the potential to wipe out all cancerous cells within the tumour, these potent immune cells are switched off by the tumour's defences. This research paves the way for therapies that specifically activate these'T cells to target all the tumour cells at once based on the disease's genetic signature.