How Immunology is Revolutionizing Cancer Treatment: An Interview with Professor Luke O’Neill

 

Cancer is one of the most devastating diseases that affects millions of people worldwide. Despite decades of research and development, finding a cure for cancer remains a daunting challenge. However, recent advances in immunology, the science of how our body defends itself against infections and diseases, have opened up new horizons for cancer treatment and prevention.

One of the leading experts in this field is Professor Luke O’Neill, an immunologist at Trinity College Dublin, Ireland. He has been studying the molecular mechanisms that regulate the immune system and how they can be manipulated to fight cancer. In a recent interview, he shared his insights on the latest breakthroughs and the future prospects of cancer immunotherapy.

Immunotherapy is a type of treatment that uses the immune system to target and kill cancer cells. Unlike conventional therapies such as chemotherapy and radiation, which can damage healthy cells as well as cancerous ones, immunotherapy aims to harness the natural power of the immune system to selectively eliminate the tumour.

“The dream was always to vaccinate against cancer, so the immune system would kill the tumour,” Professor O’Neill said. "There was some evidence that might work in the past but now, using this mRNA technology, that dream is becoming more and more of a reality."¹

mRNA technology is the same technology that was used to develop some of the COVID-19 vaccines. It involves injecting a synthetic version of the genetic material that codes for a specific protein into the body. The protein then stimulates the immune system to produce antibodies and T cells that can recognise and destroy the cancer cells.

Professor O’Neill said that the COVID-19 pandemic has led to medical breakthroughs that could change the way we treat many illnesses, including cancer. “The COVID-19 pandemic has led to medical breakthroughs that could change the way we treat many illnesses, including cancer. The first one, most of all, is vaccines because these wonderful, new vaccines are so powerful,” he said. "Now, as we speak, there are vaccine trials running for HIV, malaria and several types of cancer using that technology."¹

He said he is especially optimistic about the potential cancer vaccines for melanoma, a type of skin cancer that can spread to other organs, and lung cancer, which is one of the most common and deadly forms of cancer. He cited two recent studies that showed promising results for these cancers.

In the first study, a drug called osimertinib cut the risk of dying of lung cancer by 51%.² This drug works by blocking a specific mutation that drives the growth of the cancer cells. Professor O’Neill said that this was a “thrilling” and “unprecedented” result that showed the power of personalised medicine, which tailors the treatment to the individual characteristics of the patient and the tumour.

In the second study, a combination of two immunotherapy drugs, nivolumab and ipilimumab, improved the survival of patients with advanced melanoma by 49%. These drugs work by releasing the brakes that the cancer cells put on the immune system, allowing it to attack the tumour more effectively. Professor O’Neill said that this was a “remarkable” and “game-changing” result that showed the power of combination therapy, which uses more than one drug to enhance the immune response.

Professor O’Neill also highlighted the importance of identifying the chemical switches that turn different parts of the immune system on and off. He said that these switches, called inflammasomes, are involved in many inflammatory diseases such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, rheumatoid arthritis and cancer. He said that understanding how these switches work could lead to new drugs that could modulate the immune system and prevent or treat these diseases.

He said that his own research has focused on one of these switches, called NLRP3, which is activated by various triggers such as infections, toxins and stress. He said that his team has discovered a new molecule that can block this switch and reduce inflammation. He said that this molecule, called MCC950, has shown promising results in animal models of multiple sclerosis, diabetes and Alzheimer’s. He said that he hopes to test this molecule in human trials soon.

Professor O’Neill said that he is optimistic about the future of cancer immunotherapy and the prospects of finding a cure for cancer. He said that the next challenge is to make these treatments more accessible, affordable and effective for all patients. He said that he believes that collaboration, innovation and education are the key factors that will drive the progress of cancer research and treatment.

“I think we are getting ever closer to a cure for cancer,” he said. “It is a very exciting time to be an immunologist and a cancer researcher. We are finally cracking cancer through the immune system.”