Read time – 2-3 mins
Cancer has been one of medicine’s greatest challenges for as long as medicine has existed. Recent statistics published in the British Journal of Cancer stated that 1 in 2 people will be affected by some form of cancer in their lifetime. Breakthroughs in the treatment of cancer are needed – and that is exactly what we have today.
Professor James P Allison and Professor Tasuku Honjo have been working in collaboration to develop a new strategy to treat cancer. They have today been awarded the 2018 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine for their revolutionary work in cancer immunotherapy. They have received 9 million Swedish Kronor (approximately 1 million US dollars) for their work that has lead to this landmark discovery. Coined ‘immune checkpoint therapy’, the pair of scientist have demonstrated that by manipulating the immune system, cancer cells can no longer evade the immune system to grow and spread. This work had been ongoing for a number of years, only now coming to fruition and demonstrating it’s potential. In a recent clinical trial, some patients with metastatic melanoma (skin cancer that had spread) were given a combination treatment that seemingly cured them, with no signs of residual cancerous cells. Results like these had never been seen before in this subset of terminally ill cancer patients. Exciting clinical trials will follow in the near future.
The science
To delve into more science for those of you who are interested, there is a specific checkpoint protein called CTLA-4, which acts primarily as a break on T cells (a form of immune cell). Professor Allison developed an antibody that can bind to and neutralise the effects of this checkpoint (CTLA-4) – thus allowing the immune system to mount a response directly on the cancerous cells. Work in 2010 showed that this antibody had particular efficacy in those with a form of skin cancer, named melanoma. Work continues on these patients as mentioned above.
Professor Honjo also discovered another ‘checkoint’ protein called PD-1, which works via different mechanisms. By stopping this checkpoint in the immune system, Professor Honjo demonstrated the potential efficacy of this approach in several types of cancer. The results were striking – some patients with terminal cancer were going into long-term remission (future work will determine whether these patients have been ‘cured’).
Concluding remarks
These are indeed exciting times in the battle against cancer. The 2018 Nobel Prize for Medicine may well mark the start of an entirely novel approach in the treatment of both skin cancer, and potentially other forms of cancer.
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