In a recent study, researchers looked at how the body’s immune system reacts to pleural mesothelioma. The results were released in Pathobiology. Researchers looked at samples from 60 pleural mesothelioma patients to study immune cells in the tumor area. They used markers to identify cell types and their impact on the disease. The study helps shed light on the immune system and how it could be used for improved treatments.
Pleural mesothelioma is a cancer of the lining of the lungs. It is mostly caused by asbestos exposure, a harmful mineral that was used in many industries in the past. Pleural mesothelioma is very rare and can be very aggressive and difficult to treat. A study is trying to find how the immune system responds to pleural mesothelioma. The immune system is the body’s natural defenses against infection and disease. The immune system is made up of multiple types of cells that can recognize and kill harmful invaders like bacteria, viruses, and cancer cells.
The study looked at samples from 60 patients who were diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma. They used a technique called immunohistochemistry. It works by studying markers on immune cells within tumors. The markers helped to identify the type and job of immune cells within the tumor microenvironment. The researchers found that some immune cell markers were linked to a worse outcome. These include high levels of CD3, CD4, CD8, CD163, and FOXP3+ immune cells. The mentioned cells regulate the immune response and sometimes help cancer cells evade immune detection.
The study also looked at immune checkpoint receptors. These are proteins on immune cells that regulate the immune response. They found that high levels of PD-1, CD27, and TIM-3 on tumor infiltrating lymphocytes were linked to worse survival. Immunotherapy drugs can target these receptors and help the immune system fight cancer.
Researchers used hierarchical clustering analysis to group pleural mesothelioma samples by immune cell features. They found three groups. One group had high immune cells, another had low, and the last had medium. It was found that the group of pleural mesothelioma patients with high immune cell counts had the worst survival rates. The study also identified specific proteins, including CD47, CD70, and PD-L1 found in high levels in the tumor that can act as potential risk factors for these patients. These proteins have a role in regulating the immune response and can help cancer cells avoid detection by the immune system.
This study provides key insights into the immune system and pleural mesothelioma. It suggests that targeting certain immune cells and proteins in the tumor microenvironment could be a promising approach. This could be a way of treating pleural mesothelioma in the future. More research is needed to confirm these findings and develop new treatments for the challenging disease.
