Targeting tumour stroma could improve immunotherapy response in those with lymphoma
Researchers at King’s College London have shown how specific cells known as ‘fibroblast cells’ in lymphoma tumours suppress the body’s immune cells and immunotherapy treatment. The Blood Cancer UK funded work highlights the potential of harnessing these fibroblasts to help rejuvenate the body’s immune cells (T-cells) using novel immunotherapy drugs. The scientific paper, the Journal of Clinical Investigation published the results.
What is lymphoma?
Diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is a form of blood cancer, which starts in the lymph node tissue and is more common in older people.
Usually, cells in the lymph nodes called fibroblasts are the gate-keepers of the bodies immune responses involved in fighting disease and infection.
Although there has been encouraging progress in developing immunotherapies for this disease (including CAR-T cell therapies and T cell bispecific antibodies), for some people with the disease response to treatment is not as good as hoped.
What did the researchers show?
In this work, the researchers show that cancerous B-cells reprogram fibroblasts in the lymph node causing a shift from immune-supportive to harmful immunosuppressive activity. This helps the lymphoma cancer cells escape the action of immune cells that should attack and destroy cancer cells.
The researchers managed to harness fibroblasts within these tumours, exploiting the increased level of a protein called the fibroblast activation protein (FAP) in the stroma and increase the activity of the T cells to fight the cancer.
What the researcher said?
Dr Alan Ramsay, who leads a research group within Guy’s Cancer Centre, said:
“We believe this paper describes translationally relevant data that provides important knowledge on how lymphoma avoids being detected by the immune system in patients.
Encouragingly, our study identifies a novel treatment approach that could improve immunotherapy responses for cancer patients.”
- Dr Alan Ramsay, a lymphoma researcher from the School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Sciences at King’s College London
What our expert said?
Blood Cancer UK’s Deputy Director of Research, Sarah McDonald, said: “Currently the main treatment for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is chemotherapy. At Blood Cancer UK, funding research to improve treatments for people with blood cancer is a key priority.
This pre-clinical research opens up the possibility of using a new way to improve current immunotherapies for lymphoma
- Sarah McDonald
"If followed up and built on by further work, could lead to a new treatment to help in our fight against blood cancer.”
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