Scientists Find Way to Boost Natural Killer Cells Targeting Pediatric Brain Cancer
Natural killer cells are white blood cells that eliminate cancer or other infected cells in the human body. Now a new study has looked into these cells’ ability to eliminate a certain type of cancer known as malignant rhabdoid tumor. This aggressive and rare type of brain cancer starts developing in a child’s kidneys, soft tissues or other organs. It mainly affects young children and babies.
In some instances, natural killer cells can be overpowered by the cancer cells.
Scientists at Florida State University may have found a way to enhance natural killer cells that target this pediatric cancer. The research was led by Professor Qing-Xiang “Amy” Sang of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the institution.
Sang revealed that the researchers’ objective had been to enhance both the quality and quantity of natural killer cells, making them stronger in their ability to fight cancer.
When the malignant rhabdoid tumor develops in the central nervous system, it’s referred to as an atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumor. While it is rare, it makes up 20% of all tumors in the central nervous system in children under three years of age. Sang explained that this was a major unmet clinical need, highlighting the absence of a standardized, optimized treatment for kids with cancer, particularly brain cancer.
For the study, Sang’s team focused on determining whether it could help fight this cancer and develop a therapy with fewer side effects than conventional treatments, such as radiation therapy or chemotherapy.
The researchers used human-induced pluripotent stem cells to obtain natural killer cells, which eliminated the risk of rejection by a patient’s immune system. They also improved the immune quality of these cells by stimulating them using various proteins so they would be stronger when eliminating cancer cells.
While more research is required to develop an accessible therapy for patients with cancer, this study has demonstrated that natural killer cells from pluripotent stem cells may be used as the foundation for future treatments of pediatric brain cancer. In the report, Sang noted that their discovery would help develop a more effective and safer immunotherapy for kids with brain cancer.
The study’s coauthors included graduate researchers Drishty Badhon Sarker, Sonia Kiran and Yu Xue from the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry in the College of Arts and Sciences; and Professor Yan Li of the Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering at the institution. The scientists published their findings in “Bioactive Materials.”
Other entities such as CNS Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: CNSP) are also exploring ways to bring better therapeutics targeting central nervous system cancers in both pediatric and adult patients. There is hope that all these efforts will yield paradigm shifts in the current clinical results obtained while treating cancer using existing options.
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to CNS Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: CNSP) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/CNSP
Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the BioMedWire website applicable to all content provided by BMW, wherever published or re-published: http://BMW.fm/Disclaimer
Natural killer cells are white blood cells that eliminate cancer or other infected cells in the human body. Now a new study has looked into these cells’ ability to eliminate a certain type of cancer known as malignant rhabdoid tumor. This aggressive and rare type of brain cancer starts developing in a child’s kidneys, soft tissues or other organs. It mainly affects young children and babies.
In some instances, natural killer cells can be overpowered by the cancer cells.
Scientists at Florida State University may have found a way to enhance natural killer cells that target this pediatric cancer. The research was led by Professor Qing-Xiang “Amy” Sang of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the institution.
Sang revealed that the researchers’ objective had been to enhance both the quality and quantity of natural killer cells, making them stronger in their ability to fight cancer.
When the malignant rhabdoid tumor develops in the central nervous system, it’s referred to as an atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumor. While it is rare, it makes up 20% of all tumors in the central nervous system in children under three years of age. Sang explained that this was a major unmet clinical need, highlighting the absence of a standardized, optimized treatment for kids with cancer, particularly brain cancer.
For the study, Sang’s team focused on determining whether it could help fight this cancer and develop a therapy with fewer side effects than conventional treatments, such as radiation therapy or chemotherapy.
The researchers used human-induced pluripotent stem cells to obtain natural killer cells, which eliminated the risk of rejection by a patient’s immune system. They also improved the immune quality of these cells by stimulating them using various proteins so they would be stronger when eliminating cancer cells.
While more research is required to develop an accessible therapy for patients with cancer, this study has demonstrated that natural killer cells from pluripotent stem cells may be used as the foundation for future treatments of pediatric brain cancer. In the report, Sang noted that their discovery would help develop a more effective and safer immunotherapy for kids with brain cancer.
The study’s coauthors included graduate researchers Drishty Badhon Sarker, Sonia Kiran and Yu Xue from the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry in the College of Arts and Sciences; and Professor Yan Li of the Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering at the institution. The scientists published their findings in “Bioactive Materials.”
Other entities such as CNS Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: CNSP) are also exploring ways to bring better therapeutics targeting central nervous system cancers in both pediatric and adult patients. There is hope that all these efforts will yield paradigm shifts in the current clinical results obtained while treating cancer using existing options.
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to CNS Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: CNSP) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/CNSP
Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the BioMedWire website applicable to all content provided by BMW, wherever published or re-published: http://BMW.fm/Disclaimer
