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Tumor-associated myeloid cells suppress the immune system’s ability to target cancer, but a new experimental drug helps to overrule their inhibitory influence – boosting the effect of immunotherapy
Immunotherapy works extremely well for many patients, but it doesn’t work for everyone. One of the reasons for this is the precise makeup of each individual’s cancer, and whether they contain significant numbers oftumor-associated myeloid cells (TAMCs). These cells are a barrier to successful immunotherapy because they essentially impose a brake on the immune system, directly inhibiting targeting of the tumour. One common immunotherapy strategy is called checkpoint blockade, which involves using antibodies to block the inhibitory signals; unleashing the immune system once again. We now know that if an individual has particularly high numbers of TAMCs, it makes it much less likely they will respond to checkpoint blockade therapy. Developing ways to overcome TAMC influence is therefore an important goal in the evolution of immunotherapy.“Though checkpoint inhibitors have durable effects when they work, not all patients respond to the treatment. Part of the reason for this is that some tumors harbor tumor-associated myeloid cells, or TAMCs, that prevent T cells from attacking tumor cells”
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