Scientists decoded how cancer cells hijack mitochondria and secret the immune system
Mitochondria plays an important role in re -shaping the metabolic reprograming of the cell’s powerhouse, cancer cells and TIL.
In short
- Cancer cells survive the immune system by changing mitochondrial function
- Mitochondrial transfer from cancer cells to TIL weakens immune response
- Blocking mitochondrial transfer can increase immunotherapy effectiveness
Cancer immunotherapy works by programming immune cells to identify and eliminate cancer cells. However, many cancer cells cheat the immune system and oppose treatment.
Scientists have now decoded how these cancer cells avoid the immune system to attack cells.
Cancer cells interact with immune cells in tumor microelements (TMEs), where they can reopen TMEs for their benefit by weakening tumor-inflammatory lymphocytes (TIL), weakening TMEs for their benefit, immune cells that attack the tumor.
Mitochondria plays an important role in re -shaping the metabolic reprograming of the cell’s powerhouse, cancer cells and TIL.
Published in nature, tries to cover the knowledge difference in understanding this secret process used by cancer cells.
One of the researchers, Prof. of the University of Okayama. Yosuke Togashi explains, “We have discovered mitochondrial transfer as one of the major mechanisms of immunity theft. Our research adds a new dimension to understand how the tumor opposes immune responses, possibly leading to the development of more broad and sewn approaches to the treatment of various cancers. ,
Mitochondrial DNA (MTDNA) is prone to damage and can promote mutation tumor growth and metastasis. Abnormal mitochondrial structures and dysfunction in TIL cause cancer. This by examining TIL from cancer patients and finding that they include MTDNA mutation similar to cancer cells.
Through this study, they found that mitochondria transfer through direct cell-to-cell connection. Once inside T cells, mitochondria, derived from cancer, gradually replaces the original T cell mitochondria, there is a state called ‘homoplasmi’, where all MTDNA copies in the cell are similar.
Mitochondria that are transferred from cancer cells are resistant to fall as these factors will co-co-collect them.
The damaged mitochondria is removed through the process of mitophagi, which is absent in cancerous cells. This will lead to mitochondrial dysfunction, which will reduce cell division, metabolic changes, increase oxidative stress and impaired immune response in TIL.
Blocking mitochondrial transfer can help in immunotherapy response, especially in patients with treatment-resistant cancer. This study opens a new door in the treatment of cancer that can reduce the burden of cancer and improve the patient’s results.
