Interplay between key proteins could serve as a target for cancer treatment

Interplay between key proteins could serve as a target for cancer treatment

Immunotherapy uses a person's own immune system to fight cancer. Immune checkpoint inhibitors are one class of immunotherapy that block specific proteins from slowing the immune response. As a result, immune cells become more active and can more effectively kill cancer cells. However, most patients either respond poorly to checkpoint inhibitors or eventually become resistant to the treatment.

Resistance to Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors Could be Addressed by Degrading the STAT3 Protein

Researchers at the University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center have discovered that the balance between the STAT3 and STAT5 proteins, which govern the activity of dendritic cells, is essential for making tumor vulnerable immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs,) a form of immunotherapy. In a study published in Nature, the team showed that degrading STAT3 enhances immune responses and may overcome resistance to ICIs in cancer treatment making the prote…

Interplay Between Key Proteins Could Serve as a Target for Cancer Treatment

In a study published in Nature, University of Michigan researchers have identified that the balance between two proteins--STAT3 and STAT5--is important for making tumors vulnerable to immune checkpoint therapy, and targeting STAT3 degradation is a potential novel cancer immunotherapy strategy.