Current location:politics >>
New cancer
politics41People have gathered around
IntroductionChinese researchers have revealed the anti-tumor characteristic of neutrophils -- a type of white bl ...
Chinese researchers have revealed the anti-tumor characteristic of neutrophils -- a type of white blood cells -- and the related molecular regulation mechanism, providing new insights into cancer diagnosis and treatment.
The discovery, made by researchers at the Shanghai Institute of Immunity and Infection under the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Fudan University, was published in the journal Cell on Tuesday.
Neutrophils are the most abundant white blood cells in a human body. As the first line of defence against bacterial and fungal infections, they play a key role in anti-infection immunity.
The researchers analyzed individual neutrophils from 143 patients with 17 different types of cancer, using cutting-edge single-cell RNA sequencing technology.
They revealed that neutrophils can adopt at least 10 highly specialized and distinct functional states related to inflammation, blood vessel formation, and -- most excitingly -- presenting antigens to activate potent cancer-killing T cells.
"We were surprised to find such intricate complexity and divergent roles embedded within neutrophils, which have been overlooked for so long as a simple population," said Zhang Xiaoming, a researcher at the institute.
"What is especially remarkable is their newly discovered capacity to act as antigen-presenting cells, maturing and rallying T cells against cancer. In addition, the abundance of antigen-presenting neutrophils is associated with improved patient prognosis across many tumor types revealed in this study," he said.
Through extensive analysis, the researchers determined that the antigen-presenting state can be switched on through metabolic signaling of the amino acid leucine and ensuing epigenetic changes.
"We've uncovered a way to wake up an untapped army already living within our immune system. Strategically activating these neutrophil states or modulating their behavior through metabolic or dietary means represents an entirely new paradigm to empower cancer immunotherapy," Zhang said.
The researchers then validated the therapeutic potential of these findings through vivo models. They found that delivering antigen-presenting neutrophils or simply modulating the leucine diet dramatically boosted the antitumor immune response in mice, and the treatments also markedly improved outcomes of PD-1 checkpoint immunotherapy across a range of cancer types.
"This completely changes how we perceive neutrophils in the context of cancer," said Gao Qiang, a professor at Fudan University. "Now we know we could harness the diverse hidden identities of neutrophils to strengthen the effectiveness of immunotherapies. We're thrilled to further explore the potential benefits of these newly uncovered mechanisms in clinics."
The study underscores the value of single-cell sequencing approaches to reveal new functional dimensions even within seemingly well-understood immune cells. Tapping into the hidden potential of neutrophils may provide new insights into cancer diagnosis and treatment.
Tags:
Reprint:Friends are welcome to share on the Internet, but please indicate the source of the article when reprinting it.“Stellar Space news portal”。http://iceland.downmusic.org/news-73a099903.html
Related articles
Who is Abi Carter? Inside the American Idol winner's unconventional family life
politicsCalifornia-native Abi Carter was crowned the American Idol winner for season 22 on Sunday. The 21-ye ...
【politics】
Read morePeople fight desertification in Ningxia, NW China
politics(Xinhua) 08:20, March 22, 2024Workers plant Caragana seedlings at Baijitan national nature reserve o ...
【politics】
Read moreSudan: Aid groups warn of mass death from hunger
politicsCAIRO (AP) — On a clear night a year ago, a dozen heavily armed fighters broke into Omaima Farouq’s ...
【politics】
Read more
Popular articles
- Minnesota Equal Rights Amendment fails in acrimonious end to legislative session
- China strengthens crackdown on illegal fishing
- Outbound tourism growth, inbound recovery projected
- Chinese new energy vehicle sector speeds up expansion overseas
- Rishi Sunak to apologise for worst treatment disaster in NHS history
- Stefan Frei makes 300th regular season appearance for Sounders in 0
Latest articles
The 13 style rules that every midlife woman MUST follow (and yes, beige really is banned!)
China shortens infectious disease reporting time to four hours
Tibetan herders
Family members of mainland fishermen to go to Kinmen after fatal expulsion incident
Shooting injures 2 at Missouri high school graduation ceremony
China's logistics industry reports steady growth in 2023
LINKS
- Revealed: The top ten most popular dog names in 2024
- Billie Eilish announces return to Australia in 2025 for upcoming world tour
- Billie Eilish announces return to Australia in 2025 for upcoming world tour
- A ride on a fast catamaran led Lindsey Vonn to join U.S. SailGP Team's board of directors
- Europeans share things about the American lifestyle that leave them absolutely baffled
- Florida Democrats hope abortion, marijuana questions will draw young voters despite low enthusiasm
- Ashley Judd speaks out on the right of women to control their bodies and be free from male violence
- Gunmen kill a police officer assigned to protect polio workers in northwest Pakistan
- Thunder brushed off questions about youth, inexperience, in first
- Decoding secrets behind the rise of China's NEVs