Tel Aviv University study reveals how tumors hijack immune cells to fuel cancer growth and spread

Researchers at Tel Aviv University have uncovered a critical mechanism by which cancerous tumors manipulate the body's own immune system to fuel their growth and spread. The study, published in the journal Science Immunology, identified how specific immune cells, called macrophages, are reprogrammed within tumors.

Normally, macrophages clear damaged cells, aiding tissue health. However, the Tel Aviv University team found that within a tumor environment, these cells consume dead cancer cells and activate genes that actually promote tumor development. This reprogramming encourages the formation of new blood vessels within tumors, supplying them with essential oxygen and nutrients for rapid expansion. Furthermore, these altered macrophages become less responsive to signals that would normally trigger an anti-cancer immune response.

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The better we understand these mechanisms, the better equipped we will be to develop treatments that block them and restore the immune system’s ability to fight cancer.

To investigate this process, the researchers developed a novel technology named Effero-seq. This method tracks changes in immune cells after they engulf dead cells, allowing for detailed observation of the reprogramming. The team applied this technology to a melanoma model, observing the direct impact of the altered immune cells on tumor growth.

Expanding their research, the scientists analyzed data from patients with uveal melanoma, a form of eye cancer. They discovered a correlation between higher expression of these reprogrammed immune cells and lower survival rates among patients. Dr. Merav Cohen, a lead researcher, stated that understanding these tumor-hijacking mechanisms is key to developing treatments that can block them and re-enable the immune system to fight cancer. The findings highlight a promising new therapeutic target that addresses not only cancer cells but also the processes that enable their survival and proliferation.

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This research points to a new and promising therapeutic target, one that focuses not only on the cancer cells themselves, but also on the processes that enable them to thrive.