近日，一項刊登在國際著名雜志Nature Medicine上的研究報道中，來自利茲大學等處的研究者通過研究發(fā)現(xiàn)，機體免疫系統(tǒng)的特殊行為可以作為檢測癌癥復發(fā)的早期警報，這或許為開發(fā)癌癥的新型療法提供一定的思路。

    文中，研究者發(fā)現(xiàn)，由于癌癥細胞會發(fā)生突變并且躲避免疫系統(tǒng)監(jiān)視，因此常常會使得癌癥復發(fā)；通過對小鼠進行試驗研究者發(fā)現(xiàn)了免疫應(yīng)答的早期征兆，這或許表明癌癥被再度激活了，而且這也可以幫助研究者準確預測癌癥復發(fā)的時間。

    Alan Melcher教授說道，預測癌癥復發(fā)的時間將可作為一種新型工具來幫助我們應(yīng)對疾病的復發(fā)，但是如今我們需要開發(fā)一種方法，來檢測癌癥個體的疾病是否會在數(shù)年后再度復發(fā)。在癌細胞產(chǎn)生變異躲避免疫系統(tǒng)監(jiān)視之前，研究者就可以使得癌細胞蘇醒，隨后研究者使用小鼠自身的防御系統(tǒng)來追蹤并且殺滅尚存的癌細胞，這項研究中研究者開發(fā)的方法可以成功治愈100%的癌癥復發(fā)小鼠。

    研究者認為，在癌細胞抗擊免疫系統(tǒng)之前就先使其蘇醒，這或許可以幫助醫(yī)生們更好地應(yīng)對癌細胞治療癌癥，但與此同時也需要加強更為有效的監(jiān)控以及加速療法的開發(fā)。目前這種將癌細胞“故意”激活的方法似乎還存在爭議，但是類似的方法已經(jīng)在甲狀腺癌患者中使用了，患者被給予甲狀腺**激素來激活休眠的腫瘤從而使得研究者使用放療的方法更有效地治療這種癌癥。

     Detecting and targeting tumor relapse by its resistance to innate effectors at early recurrence

    Timothy Kottke, Nicolas Boisgerault, Rosa Maria Diaz, Oliver Donnelly, Diana Rommelfanger-Konkol, Jose Pulido, Jill Thompson, Debabrata Mukhopadhyay, Roger Kaspar, Matt Coffey, Hardev Pandha, Alan Melcher, Kevin Harrington, Peter Selby & Richard Vile

    Tumor recurrence represents a major clinical challenge. Our data show that emergent recurrent tumors acquire a phenotype radically different from that of their originating primary tumors. This phenotype allows them to evade a host-derived innate immune response elicited by the progression from minimal residual disease （MRD） to actively growing recurrence. Screening for this innate response predicted accurately in which mice recurrence would occur. Premature induction of recurrence resensitized MRD to the primary therapy, suggesting a possible paradigm shift for clinical treatment of dormant disease in which the current expectant approach is replaced with active attempts to uncover MRD before evolution of the escape phenotype is complete. By combining screening with second-line treatments targeting innate insensitivity, up to 100% of mice that would have otherwise relapsed were cured. These data may open new avenues for early detection and appropriately timed, highly targeted treatment of tumor recurrence irrespective of tumor type or frontline treatment.