Macquarie University researchers have discovered new information about how oral cancer cells may block the body's immune response. This could lead to better treatments for this aggressive disease. Their research, published in the Journal of Oral Biosciences this month, looked at protein interactions in oral cancer cells that might stop our immune cells from attacking these tumors.
Oral cancer is the sixth-most common cancer in Australia and the most common in India. Advanced forms of oral cancer are hard to treat, with patients typically surviving less than 12 months. Lead author Dr.
Rajdeep Chakraborty from Applied Biosciences at Macquarie University says the study offers important clues about how oral cancer avoids the immune system. "We thought there might be proteins in oral cancer cells working together to reduce immune cell attack," he says. Dr.
Chakraborty is principal investigator of the project, and is also a dentoalveolar surgeon and a Macquarie University Ph.D. graduate.
Resistant to treatment Oral cancer includes cancers of the lips, tongue, cheeks, mouth, palate, sinuses, and throat. Risk factors include tobacco use , heavy alcohol use, and HPV infection. Early detection greatly improves survival rates for oral cancer.
However, advanced disease remains very difficult to treat effectively. Immunotherapy, which aims to boost the body's natural defenses against cancer, has shown promise in some cancers but has had limited success in oral cancer. This new research ma.