Scientists Say They’ve Discovered How Cancer Hijacks and Corrupts Immune Cells
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Summary
Scientists have uncovered how cancer cells evade the immune system, by stealing mitochondria from immune cells, study authors found that in tumors, the mitochondrial DNA of cancer cells was nearly identical to that of immune cells, indicating that the former were stealing the organelles and using them to gain energy, allowing them to multiply.
The same process also damaged the mitochondria of the immune cells, which were then less able to combat the tumors, creating a vicious cycle that helps the cancer spread.
Furthermore, when the team looked at clinical data from 200 cancer patients, those with higher levels of mitochondrial mutation had worse outcomes, even with immunotherapy.
The findings suggest that blocking mitochondrial transfer could be a potential new avenue for cancer treatment.