Model showing regulation of immunological checkpoints in MYC-driven tumors
S.C. CASEY ET AL., SCIENCE
Myc, a transcriptional regulator that is overexpressed in several human cancers, appears to have a direct role in preventing immune cells from efficiently attacking tumor cells. The oncogene in part sustains tumor growth by increasing the levels of two immune checkpoint proteins, CD47 and programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1), which help thwart the host immune response, according to a study published today (March 10) in Science.
“It’s been shown that MYC is deeply involved in tailoring the external environment of proliferating tumor cells,” said Gerard Evan, a cancer researcher at the University of Cambridge, U.K., who was not involved in the study. “What is interesting here [is that MYC] tailors the ability of T cells to come in and survey the expanding tissue.”
“This study suggests ...
