U of C researchers make brain cancer breakthrough

CALGARY (660NEWS) – University of Calgary researchers have made an exciting new discovery in the battle against a deadly brain cancer.

Scientists at the Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute at the Cumming School of Medicine have found a way to stop the growth of glioblastoma, the deadliest form of brain cancer.

Dr. Stephen Robbins says they discovered they can use a factor that brain tumour cells secrete, Interleukin 33 (IL-33), that activates the immune system but fuels the growth of the tumour.

“We were able to show that if we made an alteration to the protein that these glioma cells make, that it changes it from a very pro-tumorigenic, meaning that the tumours grow rapidly, and we change it into a situation where the immune system can halt the growth of those glioma cells,” said Robbins.

He says they will now try to determine how to make that happen so that the immune cells can do the job they were meant to do and attack the cancer.

“Our next step is trying to figure out a way to reprogram our innate immune cells so that they can inhibit the growth of gliomas. So we know that it can happen and now we need to be able to find a way to trigger or treat them so that you could actually get this to happen in a patient.”

Robbins says their approach is a little different than what’s out there now for immune-based therapies.

“Some of the immune therapies that are really at the forefront of cancer therapy now are ones that activate your T cells and T cells are part of your adaptive immune system. Our study shows that your white blood cells… can also impart this anti-tumorigenic behaviour,” said Robbins.

The finding is published in Nature Communications.