Immune cells called ‘natural killer’ (NK) cells could be a powerful weapon for fighting lung cancer, according to Melbourne researchers.
Studying preclinical and patient samples of small cell lung cancer (SCLC), the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute team revealed that NK cells – but not T cells – are essential for slowing the aggressive spread of the cancer. ‘Supercharging’ the NK cells further boosted their cancer-fighting abilities.
The discovery offers hope for better treatments for people with SCLC, many of whom only survive a few months after their diagnosis because of the cancer’s aggressive spread.
The research was published in the Journal of Thoracic Oncology by a team led by Walter and Eliza Hall Institute researchers Dr Sarah Best, Mr Jonas Hess and Dr Kate Sutherland in collaboration with Associate Professor Melissa Davis and Professor Nick Huntington (now at Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute) and Dr Daniel Steinfort, a respiratory physician at The Royal Melbourne Hospital.
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Journal of Thoracic Oncology:
