A revolutionary treatment for brain cancer in Israel

Treatment of brain cancer in Israel: a revolutionary discovery by Israeli scientists

Researchers at Tel Aviv University made a startling discovery when they discovered a protein that destroys the immune system of the brain. Such a discovery could be decisive in the treatment of one of the most severe brain cancers - glioblastoma. This is the most dangerous type of cancer of the central nervous system, which occurs in the vast majority of cases of diagnosing brain neoplasms.

The growth of cancer cells proceeds at a rapid pace, and modern methods of treatment are not effective enough, as a result of which it is not uncommon for a patient to die after about a year after diagnosis. The treatment is further complicated by the fact that glioblastoma does not respond to immune-therapeutic methods aimed at forcing the patient's immune system to fight the tumor.

A group of Israeli scientists led by Professor Ronit Sachi-Pinero has found an effective solution to inhibit the spread of the deadly glioblastoma. There have been many clinical studies, the results of which are published in Nature Communications.

How scientists established the cause of glioblastoma growth: detection of the SELP protein

for some reason, the immune system is unable to suppress cancer cells. For this, a comparative analysis of healthy tissues and those affected by malignant tumors was carried out. Since tissue cells come into contact with proteins, proteins have been studied that are formed when glioblastoma cancer cells communicate with healthy ones.

This is how 6 proteins were identified. They were blocked in turn to isolate one main one, which allows the tumor to literally crush the immune system and spread quickly. And it was found - it turned out to be the SELP protein, which accelerates the development of brain cancer. In a detailed study, scientists have found that contact of healthy microglial brain cells with glioblastoma cells provokes the production of SELP protein in large quantities, which, in turn, promotes the migration of cancer cells and their deep penetration into the brain tissue.

What are the results of suppressing the SELP protein?

After identifying the harmful SELP protein, scientists began experiments to suppress it in tumor samples, removed from patients. As a result, it turned out that cancer cells stop dividing and moving. The researchers also analyzed the RNA and it was also noted that after suppressing the protein, the contact between cancer cells and healthy ones was impaired, immunity was activated against the spread of the malignant neoplasm, as a result of which its growth slowed down.

According to Sanchi-Pinero , the research work carried out by her group is undoubtedly important for determining an effective method for the treatment of malignant neoplasms. Currently, clinical trials aimed at suppressing SELP protein are continuing with success. Research is also underway to suppress SELP in the treatment of pain in sickle cell disease.

According to Professor Sanchi-Pinero, due to the fact that protein suppressive therapy is safe for use in humans, the procedure for approving clinical trials should take little time. Changing medical approaches to glioblastoma therapy could be an effective weapon in the fight against cancer.