Expanding the " Don ' t Eat Me " Signal Blockade Approach to Killing Cancer Cells

Cancers evolve to abuse mechanisms that suppress or control the immune system, as any cancer that fails to do so tends to be destroyed early-on by immune cells. One of these mechanisms is the presentation of "don't eat me" signals on the cell surface that prevent macrophage cells of the innate immune system from engulfing and destroying a cancer cell. CD47 was identified some years ago as one of these signals, and bypassing it or suppressing it has the potential to be a broad basis for the treatment of many types of cancer. As a bonus, it also appears to be a potentially viable strategy for treating age-related fibrosis, as the cells that make up fibrotic scar tissue inside aged organs similarly protect themselves with CD47. Nothing is simple or single-purposed in biochemistry, however. Where there is one signal, there are usually also other overlapping signals that achieve similar or related results. Researchers have now found another, more subtle "don't eat me" signal employed by cancer cells, and as is the case for CD47, this too should have the potential to be useful in a range of future therapies. In fact, the two used together promise to be much better than either on its own, capable of success in more types of cancer. "The development of cancer cells triggers the generation of SOS molecules recognized by the body's scavenger cells, called macrophages. However, aggressive cancers express a 'don't eat me' signal in the form of CD47 on their surfaces. Now...
Source: Fight Aging! - Category: Research Authors: Tags: Daily News Source Type: blogs