Unique characteristics and differences in molecular expression of immune cells in tumors.

New research has found that some of our immune cells, called regulatory T-cells, are highly abundant in tumor micro-environments and are particularly good at suppressing anti-cancer immune responses.
In two separate studies published in the November 15, 2016 issue of the journal Immunity, researchers described the unique characteristics and differences in molecular expression of regulatory T cells in human mammoths, colon tumors, and lung tumors relative to normal tissue, which may be potential biomarkers or therapeutic targets.
the two groups hope to use their knowledge of the unique properties of regulatory T cells in tumor spots to improve cancer immunotherapy --- drugs that activate immune cells to attack cancer cells.
these treatments have been successful in some tumor types, such as melanoma, up to 40 percent of patients have severe adverse events.
"Our work hypothesis is that most of the adverse events that patients experience in these immunotherapy treatments are because they are targeting molecules that are present on the surface of regulatory T cells in tumors and regulatory T cells outside tumors," said Sergio Abrignani, author of the study.
"If we target molecules that are selectively present in these tumors, then we will achieve similar efficacy and fewer adverse events," Massimiliano Pagani added.
we're finding a lot of new markers in these cells that could be used to make future therapies safer.
" study specifically analyzed tissue samples collected from nearly 200 colon and lung cancer patients and compared them to normal tissue and exosynamic blood.
researchers identified specific label molecules and genes previously not associated with regulatory T cells that can be detected in primary and metastatic tumors.
molecules may even be potential biomarkers with poor prognosmists.
Abrignani said, "We know that tumors that are highly immersed in regulatory T-cells are bad, but our paper also confirms that the label molecules on the surface of regulatory T-cells in tumors have the worst therapeutic results."
we lay the foundation for a series of important studies that must be carried out as quickly as possible.
study, conducted by the Alexander Rudensky team, specifically analyzed the unique characteristics of regulatory T cells from more than 100 human mammoth samples removed during surgery.
team found that breast tumors had increased levels of regulatory T-cells compared to normal tissue and exoded blood, and the highest levels of regulatory T-cells for the most aggressive breast cancers.
When the Rudensky team analyzed these immune cells, the most significant difference was that in the case of breast cancer and other cancers, the coercion factor-like protein CCR8 increased expression in the regulatory T-cells that resided in the tumor (in the studies of Abignani and Pagani, the protein was also overexpressed in colon and lung tumors).
why CCR8 may be important is still unknown, but it itself provides another potential target for immunotherapy.
S. Rudensky said, "It's worth noting the difference in expression of CCR8, a very clear marker that distinguishes regulatory T-cells within tumors."
this could help develop a more selective strategy for removing regulatory T-cells present in breast and other cancers.
" questions remain about the relationship between regulatory T cells and cancer, such as why do some of their unique properties promote immunosuppression? Why do more aggressive tumors have a higher level of regulatory T-cells? Are these tumors better at recruiting regulatory T-cells or are there more regulatory T-cells in the tumor at the beginning? What triggers come from tumors that alter the behavior of regulatory T cells?"This is a really exciting time for basic researchers and cancer biologists because we've revealed a more complete map of the interactions between different immune cell types and tumor micro-environments," Rudensky said.
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