The Mechanism of Cancer Cells Escaping the Immune System Revealed

Cancer cells use a special mechanism to escape the immune system when they spread to the liver. Understanding this mechanism can be an important step in the treatment of metastatic cancer. A study by the Flanders Institute for Biotechnology (VIB) and the Catholic University of Leuven (KU Leuven) found that metastatic cancer cells can alter the functioning of immune cells by using a nutrient found in the liver. Normally, immune cells help recognize and eliminate cancer cells. However, cancer cells that spread to the liver can weaken this natural defense mechanism, increasing their chances of survival. The researchers were able to block this process using experimental models and reactivate the anti-cancer activities of immune cells, which can slow down the growth of liver metastases. Researcher Sarah-Maria Fendt from the VIB-KU Leuven Center for Cancer Biology stated,

By better understanding how cancer cells exploit this environment, we can advance our research to make these tumors vulnerable to the immune system again.

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