An eczema-related protein helps ovarian cancer cells survive. The discovery could mean that patients with this tumor, which has a high mortality rate, could benefit from anti-eczema drugs. The study results were published in the journal Cell.
Ovarian cancer cells can “deceive” the human immune system. This interferes with treatment with immunotherapy, a method that aims to activate the immune system to find and destroy cancer cells. In a new study, scientists have discovered the mechanism by which ovarian cancer changes a person's immune system. They also found a molecule that could become a target for cancer drugs.
The authors discovered that ovarian cancer cells produce a molecule called interleukin-4 (IL-4). It is associated with the development of asthma and the skin disease eczema, also known as atopic dermatitis.
Scientists believe that the asthma and eczema drug Dupilumab may be useful for patients with ovarian cancer. 50% of women with this diagnosis do not survive the five-year mark after detection of the tumor. If the scientists' results are confirmed, Dupilumab could become an addition to tumor immunotherapy.
