Turning “sweet” on cancer – developing an entirely new way to fight cancer
Cancer types:
Prostate cancer
Project period:
–
Research institute:
IQUIBICEN-CONICET
Award amount:
£228,940.04
Location:
Argentina
Dr Diego Laderach is aiming to develop a brand new type of immunotherapy for prostate cancer by targeting a feature of cancer cells that has never before been tested. He and his team hope to use the immune system to attack prostate cancer cells, but believe that, if successful, this approach could be useful in other types of cancer as well.
Meet the scientist
Diego Laderach works at the IQUIBICEN in Buenos Aires, where his research focuses on prostate cancer and how the immune system can be utilised for cancer treatment.
The science
Their potentially game-changing idea involves stimulating the immune system to target a specific molecule found in abundance on the outside of cancer cells. This molecule is also found on the surface of a special type of white blood cells called a suppressive T-cell, which contribute to cancer by suppressing the immune system from attacking rouge cancer cells.
Dr Laderach proposes to trick the immune system into eradicating cells displaying the molecule using a "sugary" form of the same molecule. The hope is that this will lead to a two-pronged attack on cancer that allows the full force of the immune system to be unleashed on the disease.
The teams work will focus on prostate cancer but Dr Laderach says that the impact of their work "will significantly contribute to the design of novel therapeutic strategies which, in combination with current treatments, will be of paramount clinical benefit in patients with advanced prostate cancer and probably other types of cancer."
Active Australia
Multiple cancers
This project aims to progress the development of powerful new immunotherapy treatments by uncovering vital new information about how our immune system works.
Researcher: Dr Mireille Lahoud
Boosting the ability of our immune system to better detect and more effectively destroy cancer
Active Spain
Prostate cancer
Prostate cancer can be very hard to treat when found at a later stage so this project hopes to pave the way towards future cures for these more aggressive cancers.
Researcher: Dr Mariona Graupera
How can healthy cells contribute to aggressive prostate cancer?
Active USA
Breast cancer
This project hopes to develop a new way to identify and target prostate and breast cancer cells in the body using tiny molecular ‘flags’, called minibodies.
Researcher: Dr Tanya Stoyanova
Mini but mighty: Using ‘minibodies’ to detect and treat breast and prostate cancer