“If we can block this protein, we may be able to make chemotherapy and immunotherapy work better in ovarian cancer,” - Dr. Benjamin TsangIn recent years, researchers have begun to recognize that some tumours are naturally “hot”, meaning they contain lots of immune cells that are actively fighting the cancer cells. Other tumours are “cold”, meaning, meaning they have little to no immune activity. Researchers are now racing to figure out how to turn cold tumours hot, since hot tumours are much more responsive to chemotherapy and immunotherapy.
New research led by Dr. Benjamin Tsang, published in Cancer Research, suggests a potential way to do this for notoriously cold ovarian tumours. Dr. Tsang and his doctoral student Meshach Asare-Werehene found that ovarian cancer cells that are resistant to chemotherapy secrete high levels of a protein called plasma gelsolin that inactivates key cancer-killing immune cells called T cells. Ovarian cancer cells that don’t secrete much of this protein are much more susceptible to chemotherapy.
The team hopes that by blocking plasma gelsolin, they may be able to make ovarian tumours hot and increase the success of chemotherapy and immunotherapy.
“If we can block this protein, we may be able to make chemotherapy and immunotherapy work better in ovarian cancer,” said Dr. Benjamin Tsang, senior scientist emeritus at The Ottawa Hospital and professor emeritus at the University of Ottawa.
Authors: Meshach Asare-Werehene, Laudine Communal, Euridice Carmona, Youngjin Han, Yong Sang Song, Dylan Burger, Anne-Marie Mes-Masson and Benjamin K. Tsang.
Funding: Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Ovarian Cancer Canada, Reseau de recherche sur le cancer du Fonds de recherche du Quebec – Sante (FRQS).
The Ottawa Hospital is a leading academic health, research and learning hospital proudly affiliated with the University of Ottawa. Research at The Ottawa Hospital is possible because of generous donations to The Ottawa Hospital Foundation.
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