Scientists from Stanford University and New York University found that suppressing the protein called LAG-3, called the “immune system brake”, increases the effectiveness of cancer treatments. Research results published In Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
Scientists announced that tumor cells in some types of cancer can capture proteins called “immune system brakes”. The truth is that when they work properly, they help immune cells recognize and destroy threats, and when absorbed by cancer cells, they can provide them with a form of protection. This process both causes the cancer to progress rapidly and reduces the effectiveness of immunotherapy.
During the research, scientists found that one of these proteins, LAG-3, has a complex, spindle-shaped structure. They also discovered that LAG-3 is a dimer (a complex molecule made up of two simpler molecules called monomers). Two LAG-3 molecules come together to form a functional control protein. In this case, the key element in the interface and functioning of the LAG-3 dimer is the sugar residue.
Further studies on LAG-3 showed that a special antibody, used for 20 years to demonstrate the therapeutic effectiveness of drugs in animals, was able to block the activity of LAG-3 by “squeezing” into the space between two molecules of this dimer. . Scientists suggested that this discovery would further increase the effectiveness of surgical, chemical and immunological cancer treatments.
Previous scientists determined Characteristics of the most difficult cancer to detect.