New Combination Treatment for Incurable Childhood Cancer Discovered through Immune Atlas at Cell Level

New Combination Treatment for Incurable Childhood Cancer Discovered through Immune Atlas at Cell Level

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Researchers from the Princess Máxima Center for pediatric oncology in the Netherlands have developed a detailed ‘atlas’ of neuroblastoma tumors at the individual cell level, leading to the discovery of a potential target for immunotherapy. Neuroblastoma is a malignant nerve tumor that affects around 25 children in the Netherlands each year. Despite standard treatment, eight children with recurrent neuroblastoma die within five years of diagnosis, highlighting the urgent need for improved therapies.

 

Immunotherapy is a promising approach that harnesses the body’s immune system to target tumor cells. While anti-GD2 immunotherapy has shown a 15% increase in survival rates for children with neuroblastoma, it is not effective in all cases. To understand why this is the case, researchers from the Princess Máxima Center used single-cell RNA sequencing to map the tumors of 19 children with neuroblastoma in high resolution. This technique allowed them to study the individual cancer and immune cells within the tumor.

 

Through their analysis of over 22,000 individual cells, the researchers noticed that a type of immune cell called T cells were functioning poorly within the neuroblastoma tumors. These dysfunctional T cells often expressed a protein called TIGIT on their surface, which acts as a brake on their activity, preventing them from attacking the tumor cells. However, existing checkpoint inhibitors—drugs that can switch off this brake—can activate the immune system and help eliminate cancer cells.

 

In further experiments using 3D mini-tumors and mice, the researchers found that a combination of checkpoint inhibitors against TIGIT and another protein called PD-L1 effectively killed neuroblastoma cells. This combination also showed improved survival rates in mice with recurrent neuroblastoma, an aggressive form of the disease. The drugs used, tiragolumab and atezolizumab, are already being tested in clinical studies for adult cancers such as lung and liver cancer.

 

The Princess Máxima Center researchers are collaborating with pharmaceutical company Roche to plan a clinical study for children with neuroblastoma in Europe and the United States. This study aims to investigate the safety and potential benefits of the combination treatment in children with metastatic or recurrent neuroblastoma.

 

Dr. Judith Wienke, senior researcher in the Molenaar group at the Princess Máxima Center, stated that their high-resolution map of the neuroblastoma immune landscape provides important insights into the functioning of immune cells within the tumor. She believes that this research offers new opportunities for improving immunotherapy for childhood neuroblastoma.

 

Prof. Dr. Jan Molenaar, research group leader at the Princess Máxima Center, expressed excitement about how quickly their basic research has translated into potential clinical application. He anticipates seeing whether children with neuroblastoma will benefit from this novel combination of immunotherapies through the upcoming clinical trial.

 

While immunotherapy is becoming more widely used in pediatric cancer treatment, it is crucial to understand the immune landscape of tumors for better efficacy and reduced side effects. The researchers at the Princess Máxima Center hope that their study will contribute to the advancement of immunotherapy for children with neuroblastoma.

 

Prof. Dr. Max van Noesel, pediatric oncologist and clinical director of solid tumors at the Princess Máxima Center, highlighted the success of checkpoint inhibitors in adult cancers such as melanoma and lung cancer. However, the commonly used PD-L1 inhibitors have shown limited effectiveness in children. He expressed optimism about the potential of a combination treatment targeting both TIGIT and PD-L1 and looks forward to investigating its impact on high-risk or relapsed neuroblastoma in clinical trials.

*Note:
1.Source: Coherent Market Insights, Public sources, Desk research
2.We have leveraged AI tools to mine information and compile it

Ravina
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Ravina Pandya,  Content Writer, has a strong foothold in the market research industry. She specializes in writing well-researched articles from different industries, including food and beverages, information and technology, healthcare, chemical and materials, etc. With an MBA in E-commerce, she has an expertise in SEO-optimized content that resonates with industry professionals.