Known for preventing cancer, p53 could also help immune cells fight it
Researchers at the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center have identified a new strategy to make cancer-fighting immune cells stronger and potentially longer-lasting, a discovery that could help improve the effectiveness of immunotherapies that use a patient's own immune cells to attack cancer.
Researchers at UCLA Health have discovered a method to enhance the effectiveness of cancer-fighting immune cells. The study, published in Frontiers in Immunology, suggests that temporarily activating the p53 protein, typically known for preventing cancer, can make immune cells more resilient and better at attacking tumors. By blocking another protein called MDM2, the drug navtemadlin increases p53 activity, leading to T cells with fewer signs of exhaustion, greater energy reserves, and improved ability to kill cancer cells.
This approach could potentially improve the effectiveness of immunotherapies like CAR T-cell and TCR therapies without needing additional genetic modifications.
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