Researchers Unearth Vital RNA Strand for Harnessing the Immune System Against Cancer

 

Researchers Unearth Vital RNA Strand for Harnessing the Immune System Against Cancer

A group of scientists at the University of Massachusetts Amherst has unveiled the significant role played by a tiny molecule called microRNA, specifically known as let-7, in governing the memory and recognition abilities of T-cells when it comes to tumor cells. This cellular memory mechanism forms the foundation for the functioning of vaccines, and enhancing it could potentially revolutionize cancer therapies.

The research, generously funded by the National Institutes of Health and recently featured in Nature Communications, offers a promising strategy for the next generation of cancer immunotherapies.

To grasp the concept, imagine the human body as a fortress, as described by Leonid Pobezinsky, an associate professor of veterinary and animal sciences at UMass Amherst and the senior author of the study, alongside research assistant professor Elena Pobezinskaya.

Within our bodies, we have T-cells, specialized white blood cells responsible for combating both external pathogens (such as the common cold) and internal anomalies like tumor cells. Typically, T-cells remain dormant, waiting for their duty call. When they encounter foreign antigens, they awaken, transform into killer T-cells, and launch attacks on the invaders, whether it's a common cold virus, COVID-19, or cancer.

After a successful battle, most killer T-cells perish. However, a select few manage to survive, morphing into memory cells that constitute an elite task force known as the 'memory pool.' These cells retain a vivid recollection of the specific antigen's appearance, enabling them to swiftly respond to future invasions.

This mechanism forms the crux of how vaccines operate. By introducing a weakened form of a pathogen into the body, like the chickenpox virus, memory cells remember the pathogen's characteristics, transforming into killer T-cells when needed, eliminating infected cells, and reverting to memory cells, poised for the next encounter with the virus.

However, the precise process by which T-cells develop these memories has remained largely elusive.

Cancerous tumor cells employ a cunning strategy to evade killer T-cells, effectively preventing them from creating a memory pool. This allows cancer to spread unchecked within the body.

The groundbreaking discovery made by Pobezinsky and the research team revolves around a minuscule molecule known as miRNA, specifically let-7. This molecule, which has been preserved throughout the course of animal evolution, is found in abundance in memory cells. Remarkably, cells with higher let-7 levels are less susceptible to the deception of cancerous tumor cells, making them more likely to evolve into memory cells.

When a memory cell resists the cancer's influence, it can engage in combat and, crucially, remember the appearance of the cancerous cells.

Pobezinskaya emphasizes the extraordinary longevity of memory cells, which exhibit stem-cell-like features and can persist for up to 70 years.

Lead author Alexandria Wells, a postdoctoral fellow at the Cancer Research Institute who conducted the research at UMass Amherst, expresses enthusiasm not only for the profound insights gained from this research but also for its potential impact on the development of next-generation immunotherapies. She highlights the promise of further research into the regulation of let-7 during treatment to enhance the capabilities of our immune systems and bolster their memory functions.