New research network: Hoping bearer against colon cancer discovered!
New research network: Hoping bearer against colon cancer discovered!
Frankfurt am Main, Deutschland - On May 30, 2025, the new Transregio special research area TRR 417 was launched, which is operated together by the Goethe University in Frankfurt, the Friedrich Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg and the Albert-Ludwigs University Freiburg. The aim of research is to examine the tumor micromilia of intestinal tumors more precisely and to improve the therapy options through targeted changes. According to puk.uni-frankfurt.de , colon cancer is curable if it is recognized at an early stage and fully operated on. In advanced cases, immunotherapies are considered hopefuls, but only about 15-20% of patients speak to these treatments.
A central aspect of new research is the defective DNA repair system of the tumors that have microsatellite instability. This opens up better opportunities for the use of immunotherapies, since immuncheck point inhibitors can neutralize the protective cover of the tumor and activate T cells. Prof. Florian Greten, spokesman for TRR 417, emphasizes the need for interdisciplinary cooperation in order to transfer basic research into clinical applications faster.
New approach to the treatment of microsatellite stable tumors
A significant challenge in the treatment of colon cancer is the microsatellite-stable colorectal carcinoma (MSS CRC), which is about 85-90% of cases. Currently, modern immunotherapies can only be used to a limited extent in this type of tumor. A research team from the MedUni Vienna has identified possible causes for these therapy failures. In a recently published study in "Nature Communications", the scientists found that the Yẟ T cells who are responsible for the immune response do not work sufficiently in MSS CRC. Among other things, this is due to the fact that connective tissue cells (fibroblasts) block the activity of these T cells. Krebs-nachrichten.de describes further promising approaches to overcoming this blockade, in particular by inhibiting the molecule Tigit.
The knowledge about the role of the Yẟ T cells open up new perspectives for future research that should examine their interactions with fibroblasts more precisely. This could be a decisive progress in the fight against colon cancer, where the acceptance of immunotherapies has so far been limited.
Influence of the microbiome on immunotherapies
In the meantime, the Tübingen Professor Dr. Christoph Stein-Thoeringer for his project, which examines the influence of intestinal microbes on the effectiveness of car-t cell therapies, an ERC consolidator grant over two million euros. Car-T cell therapies offer new immune treatment in which T cells are changed in genetic engineering in order to combat tumor cells in a targeted manner. Despite the promising results of lymphomas, the researchers see need for improvement. Around 60% of patients experience a recurrence of the disease after treatment. Stein-Thoeringer's research focuses on the identification of biomarkers that can predict the response to therapy. Notes indicate that specific intestinal bacteria could influence the prediction of therapy success, which indicates an important role in microbioma in cancer immunotherapy, as uni-tuebingen.de reported.Overall, current research shows how important the understanding of biological mechanisms is behind colon cancer and its therapies. Innovation approaches in basic research could finally bring the decisive breakthrough in the treatment of this serious illness.
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| Ort | Frankfurt am Main, Deutschland |
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