Washington University School of Medicine researchers recently revealed that they have potentially discovered a new target for tumor reduction in almost all types of cancer. The researchers found that short DNA segments called transposable elements (TEs), which can travel from one location to another within the genome, present a potential new approach in cancer immunotherapy.
The team leveraged data from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), a massive database with 675 cancer cell lines and more than 20,000 cancer samples of 33 different types of cancer, to generate its findings.
The main focus of the research was transposable elements (TEs), which can wedge themselves into other genes, such as retroviruses that can insert some of their genetic code into the host’s genome to produce more retroviruses. Fortunately, the human genome is prepared to deal with transposable elements and usually does so by “turning off” the process of insertion and replication. Cancers usually grow in the absence of this genetic failsafe, as tumors often come from mutated cells with damaged DNA.
Although TEs tend to be dormant, the replication of cancer cells brings them out of dormancy and increases their activity.
Researchers found that TEs were present in 98% of tumors across different types of cancers and “have the potential to produce new peptides” that don’t occur in benign tissues. This could, in turn, allow for the development of a new way to target tumors in different cancer types.
Published in the “Nature Genetics” journal, the study revealed the presence of 1,068 tumor-specific TE candidates that could potentially produce shared tumor-specific TE-chimeric antigens (TS-TEAs). Tumor-specific antigens are antigenic substances generated in tumor cells. They bind to specific antibodies and can trigger an immune response. They can be used in diagnostic tests as tumor markers to identify tumor cells, and experts believe they have some potential use in cancer therapy.
Now that researchers have identified transposable elements as a potential avenue for treating cancers, more research will be needed to determine how TS-TEAs could be used to attack and destroy tumor cells.
Scientists are always searching for therapies that can treat cancer safely, more effectively, and with few side effects.
The condition affects around 5.5% of the U.S. population, with some cancer types having worse outcomes than others. There is no cure for cancer, but several treatments can kill and prevent tumor cells from metastasizing. With the new data from Washington University School of Medicine researchers, further research could lead to the development of novel approaches to cancer treatment.
Further research is precisely what many companies such as CNS Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: CNSP) are doing in a bid to keep improving the available cancer treatments, especially for brain cancers.
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to CNS Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: CNSP) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/CNSP
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