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Scientists Discover Hidden Cells That Help Lung Cancer Evade the Immune System
Confirmed
In Short: Scientists have discovered a new cell type in lung tumors that attracts immune-suppressing cells, potentially helping lung cancer evade the immune system.
Scientists have discovered a new cell type in lung tumors that attracts immune-suppressing cells, potentially helping lung cancer evade the immune system. Using spatial transcriptomics, researchers at Columbia University identified a population of immunomodulatory cancer-associated fibroblasts expressing a gene called CHL1, which is not found in typical fibroblasts. These cells were validated in human lung cancer tissue samples, showing a correlation with weaker immune responses against the tumor.
The research, published in Drug Discovery News, found that these CHL1-expressing cells can create an immune environment that protects tumors. Disrupting the signaling pathway involved allowed immune attacks against lung cancer in mice. The team also found these same fibroblasts in human lung cancers, suggesting their role in human disease.
Future research will focus on understanding how these newly discovered cells arise in the lungs, as they are not found in the lungs of people without cancer. This discovery could lead to new therapeutic strategies to target these cells and enhance immune responses against lung cancer.
Fibroblasts, which are typically found around solid tumors, have been shown to support cancer rather than simply surround it. This study adds to the growing understanding of the complex interactions between cancer and the immune system.
What's confirmed
What's still developing
- When the researchers inactivated the relevant genes and blocked the signaling system in mice, fewer regulatory T cells accumulated around the cancer, allowing an immune response to attack the tumor.