Harvard researchers reveal discovery that could revolutionize cancer immunotherapy.A Harvard Medical School research team discovered that a molecule produced by bacteria Streptococcus pyogenesThe bacteria that cause strep throat and other infections may play a key role in cancer treatment.
The research was published in Journal of the American Chemical Society, revealed the molecule, called cardiolipin, triggering an immune response in the body. This challenges the long-held belief that the immune system ignores this bacterial molecule.
More than 100 years ago, surgeon William Coley revealed he used viruses to infect patients with incurable cancer Streptococcus pyogenes or other strains of bacteria, known as "coli’s toxin“Sometimes he cured his disease. However, many of his colleagues did not believe the results, and with the advent of radiation and chemotherapy, his approach was marginalized.
With the advent of modern immuno-cancer therapies, which harness the immune system to fight tumors, Coley’s reputation was restored. However, so far, no one has discovered why Coley’s original treatment worked.
A team led by Dr. Jon Clardy Author: Christopher T. Walsh. Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology at the HMS Blavatnik Institute and his colleagues found the answer through immune activation testing. The test identified bacterial molecules that stimulated immune responses in mouse bone marrow cell cultures.among all molecules Streptococcus pyogenesonly one is effective: a simple fat molecule called cardiolipinFound in cell membranes, the research team named it SpCL-1.
This discovery marks the first time that researchers have cardiolipin Bacteria in the human immune response.It is associated with simple membrane lipids (e.g. cardiolipin The bacteria mentioned in this article are not immunogenic. The results challenge established beliefs and open up new possibilities for immunological research.
Researchers found that cardiolipin It can be recognized by the immune system and trigger an inflammatory response. This could explain why Streptococcus sometimes causes serious immune complications, such as rheumatic fever, and how identifying this molecule can lead to autoimmune diseases like lupus.
“Our work provides a piece of the puzzle as to why in some poorly understood autoimmune diseases, the body mounts an immune response to its own antigens: why it attacks itself,” Clardy said.
cardiolipinimmune response to cancer
Furthermore, research shows cardiolipin May play a role in cancer immunotherapy. Researchers found that this molecule binds to receptors on immune system cells, triggering the release of an inflammatory molecule called tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha). This opens the door to new strategies to stimulate immune responses against cancer.
These findings may have important implications for the development of more effective cancer immunotherapies. They may also help understand why immunotherapy does not work for all patients, as previous research has shown that the gut microbiome plays a crucial role in the effectiveness of these therapies.this cardiolipin Bacteria may be a key piece of the puzzle.
However, there is still much to learn, and this discovery brings new hope in the fight against cancer and opens up new avenues of research in the field of immunotherapy. Researchers hope that this bacterial molecule, along with other immunotherapies, will lead to more effective and personalized treatments to combat this devastating disease.