New research on inflammation could lead to better treatments to improve outcomes for people with advanced or previously untreatable cancers.
Introducing bacteria to a tumour’s microenvironment creates a state of acute inflammation that triggers the immune system’s primary responder cells to attack rather than protect a tumour, according to researchers from UNSW Sydney and the Garvan Institute of Medical Research.
At the earliest signs of bacterial infection, the first cells on the scene are white blood cells called neutrophils, which play an important role in the defense against infection.
While they generally protect against disease, they are notorious for promoting tumour growth. High levels of them in the blood are typically associated with poorer outcomes in cancer, in part because they produce molecules that shield the tumour by suppressing the other elements of the immune system.
The team of scientists discovered that injecting inactivated samples of the Staphylococcus aureus microbe into the tumour microenvironment – the area surrounding the tumour – flips the protective function of neutrophils.
The research, published in the journal Cancer Research, was led by Associate Professor Tatyana Chtanova at UNSW’s School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences and Head of the Innate and Tumour Immunology Lab at Garvan. A/Prof Chtanova says that these findings have helped progress our understanding of acute inflammation to advance microbial therapy for cancer.
“In our study we sought to develop new immunotherapies that use different modes of action that could complement and enhance existing immunotherapies,” says A/Prof Chtanova.
“We show how acute inflammation can be harnessed to achieve ongoing anti-tumour function in immune cells. We also show how microbial therapy can be successfully combined with an existing type of therapy, known as checkpoint inhibitor therapy, to amplify anti-cancer capabilities.”
Exploring new ways of triggering the immune system to fight cancer
Working on a range of animal cancer models, including Lewis lung carcinoma, triple-negative breast cancer, melanoma and pancreatic cancer, the presence of bacteria stimulated the neutrophils to destroy the tumours.
“Using the immune system to fight cancer has been one of the biggest breakthroughs in cancer therapy in the last two decades, but currently immunotherapy for improving T cell function [another important type of white blood cell] doesn’t work for all types of cancer,” says A/Prof Chtanova.
“We decided to use a different type of immunotherapy that targets neutrophils, to understand how generating acute inflammation in the immunosuppressive tumour microenvironment affects outcomes.”
The team studied the tumours in real time using a unique imaging method known as intravital imaging.
“Since attacking bacteria is the reason for neutrophils’ existence, we had a good inkling that introducing bacteria would bring neutrophils to the site and activate them. We discovered that it’s very effective in getting them to kill the tumours, chewing up their matrix,” she says.
The study also found that on exposure to bacteria, neutrophils begin to secrete molecules that will attract fighter T cells as reinforcement.
“We’ve shown that microbial therapy is an effective booster for checkpoint inhibitor therapy. We hope this synergistic effect will ultimately lead to better treatments to improve outcomes for patients with advanced or previously untreatable cancers,” says first author of the study, Dr Andrew Yam, clinical medical oncologist at The Kinghorn Cancer Centre and PhD student at Garvan.
This study focused on primary tumours, the first tumour in the body. “So far we have shown that our microbial therapy can inhibit growth of primary tumours and can also protect against tumour recurrence, which is a major clinical challenge,” says A/Prof Chtanova. “This suggests that our microbial therapy is achieving not just short-term and localised, but long-lasting and systemic anti-tumour immunity.
“Our next step is to extend these findings to develop a pathway to treat cancers that have metastasized to different locations.”
![](https://www.nanoappsmedical.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/spacer.jpg)
News
Ethics in Nanomedicine: Key Issues and Principles
Nanomedicine, a branch of nanotechnology, is revolutionizing healthcare by enabling the manipulation of materials at the nanoscale to diagnose, treat, and prevent diseases. Unlike traditional treatments, nanoparticles (NPs) are highly precise in targeting diseased [...]
A call for robust H5N1 influenza preparedness and response
As the global threat of H5N1 influenza looms with outbreaks across species and continents including the U.S., three international vaccine and public health experts say it is time to fully resource and support a [...]
Mucosal COVID-19 boosters outperform mRNA shots in preventing upper airway infections
In a recent study published in Nature Immunology, a team of researchers from the United States used non-human primate models to compare the protection conferred by an intramuscular booster dose of the bivalent messenger ribonucleic acid [...]
How Space Travel Really Changes Astronauts – From the Inside Out
International team reveals previously unknown effects on physiology that could shape the future of long-duration space missions. Researchers have discovered significant changes in the gut microbiome due to spaceflight, which affects host physiology and [...]
Breakthrough in blood stem cell development offers hope for leukemia and bone marrow failure
Melbourne researchers have made a world first breakthrough into creating blood stem cells that closely resemble those in the human body. And the discovery could soon lead to personalized treatments for children with leukemia [...]
Scientists Develop Game-Changing Needle-Free COVID-19 Intranasal Vaccine
A new mucosal COVID-19 vaccine poised to revolutionize the delivery process is especially beneficial for those with a fear of needles. A next-generation COVID-19 mucosal vaccine is set to be a game-changer not only when delivering [...]
Scientists Develop All-in-One Solution To Catch and Destroy “Forever Chemicals”
A new water treatment system developed by UBC researchers efficiently removes and destroys PFAS pollutants using a dual-action catalyst, offering a sustainable and cost-effective solution for water purification challenges. Chemical engineers at the University of [...]
New method accelerates drug discovery from years to months
Researchers from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and Cincinnati Children's Hospital have found a new method to increase both speed and success rates in drug discovery. The study, published Aug. 30 in [...]
A new smart mask analyzes your breath to monitor your health
Your breath can give away a lot about you. Each exhalation contains all sorts of compounds, including possible biomarkers for disease or lung conditions, that could give doctors a valuable insight into your health. [...]
Study reveals the role of blood clotting in COVID-19
In a study that reshapes what we know about COVID-19 and its most perplexing symptoms, scientists have discovered that the blood coagulation protein fibrin causes the unusual clotting and inflammation that have become hallmarks [...]
A Novel Cancer Vaccine Combining Nano-11 and ADU-S100
In a recent article published in npj Vaccines, researchers detailed the development of a novel cancer vaccine that combines a plant-derived nanoparticle adjuvant, Nano-11, with a clinically tested STING agonist, ADU-S100. The primary objective was [...]
AI spots cancer and viral infections with nanoscale precision
Researchers have developed an artificial intelligence which can differentiate cancer cells from normal cells, as well as detect the very early stages of viral infection inside cells. The findings, published today in a study [...]
Tiny shards of plastic are increasingly infiltrating our brains, study says
Human brain samples collected at autopsy in early 2024 contained more tiny shards of plastic than samples collected eight years prior, according to a preprint posted online in May. A preprint is a study which has not yet [...]
Scientists Have Discovered Strange DNA in Our Brains – and It Could Be Shortening Our Lives
According to the research, these mitochondrial DNA insertions could be linked to early death. Mitochondria in brain cells frequently insert their DNA into the nucleus, potentially impacting lifespan, as those with more insertions were found to [...]
Watch Out After a Hospital Stay: You Could Be Exposing Your Family to Superbugs
Research indicates hospitals contribute to the local spread of antibiotic-resistant infections. A recent study published in the journal Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology by the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America suggests that family members of [...]
Molecular Trickery: How COVID-19 Silently Sabotages the Human Immune System
Researchers have discovered that SARS-CoV-2 manipulates the human immune system by forcing cells to produce non-functional proteins, hindering the body’s antiviral defenses. This groundbreaking study by teams from prestigious Brazilian universities highlights potential targets for new COVID-19 treatments, [...]