Tumor-resident T cell levels underlie improved survival in throat cancer ppatients
Research led by the Centenary Institute has discovered that immune cells
accumulating within the tumor environment, called tumor-resident T
cells, are a critical determinant in survival rates of patients
suffering from throat cancer.
Reported in the prestigious ‘Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer’,
the research suggests that strategies aiming to boost these T-cells at
tumor sites could be beneficial to patients.
Oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) is a form of throat
cancer. It can be caused by environmental factors such as smoking or by
human papillomavirus infection (HPV), the same virus that causes
cervical cancer in women. We knew that patients with HPV-related OPSCC
had far better clinical outcomes compared to other OPSCC patients but we
didn’t know why.
Ms Rehana Hewavisenti, lead author of the study and researcher at the Centenary Institute and the University of Sydney.
“It was the accumulation of these immune T-cells, in and around the tumor site that appeared to be key,” said Ms Hewavisenti.
The researchers also found in their study that HPV OPSCC patients generally had far higher levels of tumor-resident T cells compared to their non-HPV OPSCC patient counterparts.
In examining over sixty patient samples, Ms Hewavisenti and her colleagues discovered that increased levels of tumor-resident T cells, whether in HPV or non-HPV OPSCC cases, was clearly associated with improved patient survival outcomes.
“It was the accumulation of these immune T-cells, in and around the tumor site that appeared to be key,” said Ms Hewavisenti.
The researchers also found in their study that HPV OPSCC patients generally had far higher levels of tumor-resident T cells compared to their non-HPV OPSCC patient counterparts.
We think these HPV positive patients tended to have better clinical
outcomes as HPV infection is likely to favor the accumulation of these
beneficial T-cells within the tumor area.”
“Now that we understand how important this immune response is in relation to OPSCC, we can begin developing new treatment strategies focused on recruiting these favorable tumor-resident T cells directly to tumors,” he said.
Dr Palendira believes that looking at the amount of these T-cells in cancer could help clinicians to personalize the best treatment approach for individual patients.
“We also think that our research demonstrating viral (HPV) links with this tumor-resident T cell accumulation could help in future cancer vaccine development efforts too,” he said.
Dr Mainthan Palendira, Head of the Centenary Institute’s Human Viral and Cancer Immunology Laboratory and senior author on the research paper believes the research findings have major implications.Ms Rehana Hewavisenti
“Now that we understand how important this immune response is in relation to OPSCC, we can begin developing new treatment strategies focused on recruiting these favorable tumor-resident T cells directly to tumors,” he said.
Dr Palendira believes that looking at the amount of these T-cells in cancer could help clinicians to personalize the best treatment approach for individual patients.
“We also think that our research demonstrating viral (HPV) links with this tumor-resident T cell accumulation could help in future cancer vaccine development efforts too,” he said.
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