Revitalising the Thymus
- From: Lance <LanceGary@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 11 Aug 2005 01:23:19 +0200
http://www.scienceblog.com/cms/node/8632
Immune system discovery offers hope for cancer, AIDS patients
Monash University scientists have rejuvenated the immune systems of mice and humans using a common hormone.
The scientists, led by Associate Professor Richard Boyd and Dr Jayne Sutherland
from the Monash Immunology and Stem Cell Laboratories, have revitalised the
thymus which produces the T cells required to fight infection but which shuts
down from early adulthood.
Their achievement, published in the August issue of the Journal of Immunology,
has offered new hope for patients with cancer, AIDS and other immunodeficiencies
and for transplant patients.
The Monash study showed inhibiting sex steroids through the Leuteinizing
Hormone-Releasing Hormone could help regrow the thymus, increase output of new T
cells, enhance T cell responses and improve recovery following bone marrow
transplants. It also showed, for the first time, that prostate cancer patients
who had their sex steroids temporarily blocked had increased levels of new T
cells in their blood.
The researchers found inhibiting sex steroids improved the production of
haemopoietic stem cells in bone marrow. These cells provide 'fuel' for the bone
marrow and thymus to produce blood cells.
Associate Professor Boyd said the immune system deteriorated severely with age,
and was further destroyed by severe viral infection and common cancer treatments
such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
"The resulting immunodeficiency can allow cancer relapse and leave patients at
greater risk of infections which are often fatal," he said. "The ability to
overcome these immune system deficiencies provides a completely new approach to
treating cancer and may work in many other severe clinical conditions such as
HIV/AIDS. It may also boost the effectiveness of vaccines to cancer and
infections."
Because the scientists have been able to manipulate the way the thymus grows
back, they believe they should be able to rebuild the immune system of patients
who are receiving transplants so donor material is not rejected.
The group has initiated pre-clinical trials using this technology to induce
immune tolerance to organ transplants. The trials, led by clinical immunologist
Dr David Sachs, are being undertaken at the Massachusetts General Hospital, the
largest teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School.
The technology, licensed to Norwood Immunology, is also about to be used in
clinical trials in leading US cancer centres on patients receiving chemotherapy
and haemopoietic stem cell transplants.
For more information contact Ms Diane Squires in the Media Communications Office
on +61 3 9905 9315 or +61 (0)417 603 400.
From Research Australia .
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