Tumors Disable Immune Cells

(Ivanhoe Newswire) – Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have discovered that cancer cells’ need for sugar may have serious consequences for immune cell function.
When researchers kept sugar away form critical immune cells (T-cells), the cells stopped producing interferon gamma, which is an inflammatory compound that fights tumors and certain types of infection. “T cells can get into tumors, but unfortunately they are often ineffective at killing the cancer cells. Lack of the ability to make interferon gamma could be one reason why they fail to kill tumors. By understanding more about how sugar metabolism affects interferon production, we may be able to develop treatments that fight tumors by enhancing T cell function,” Erika Pearce, PhD, Assistant Professor of Pathology and Immunology, was quoted as saying.
For more information, go to: https://news.wustl.edu/news/Pages/25497.aspx
SOURCE: Cell, June 2013