Some Cancers Resist Treatment. Scientists Might Have Found Why
Summary
Scientists have found a special group of cells in blood vessels that help immune cells called T cells find and attack cancer that has spread to the liver. These cells produce an enzyme called LPL, which helps guide T cells out of the bloodstream and into tumors, potentially improving cancer immunotherapy.Key Facts
- Researchers studied cancers that spread to the liver, which are often hard to treat with immunotherapy.
- A group of blood vessel lining cells, called endothelial cells, produce an enzyme named lipoprotein lipase (LPL).
- These LPL-producing cells show tumor material on their surface, helping T cells identify and enter tumors.
- Tumors with more LPL-producing cells had more T cells inside them.
- In mouse models, increasing LPL in these cells led to more T cells entering tumors and shrinking the cancer.
- Removing LPL weakened the immune response against the tumor.
- The discovery challenges the idea that blood vessels in tumors block immune cells; instead, some blood vessel cells help immune cells gather.
- Researchers plan to explore drugs that can increase LPL or mimic its effect to boost cancer immunotherapy in the future.
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