epigenetic processes from the so-called dendritic cells of the immune system influences their development and improves anti-tumor immunity. This discovery has the potential to lead to new therapeutic approaches in immunotherapy.
Epigenetic processes in the immune system’s dendritic cells play a key role in their development and enhance their ability to fight tumors. This discovery has the potential to open up new possibilities for immunotherapy treatment. The study, conducted by Cristiano De Sá Fernandes and Maria Sibilia’s research group at the Center for Cancer Research and the Comprehensive Cancer Center of MedUni Vienna and Vienna General Hospital, was recently published in Cell Reports.
Cancer cells are abnormal cells that disrupt normal bodily functions and behavior. The challenge in combating these cells lies in their tendency to evade the immune system’s surveillance and evade destruction.The challenge with cancer cells is that the immune system struggles to recognize and fight them because they are similar to the body’s own cells. This is where immunotherapy comes in. It helps the patient’s immune system to identify the cancer cells and activate the body’s natural defenses.
Dendritic cells (DCs) are vital cells in the immune system that are derived from precursor cells and can create various subgroups by altering their gene activity. These subgroups serve different functions in the immune system. However, the exact impact of specific epigenetic changes in chromatin (the material of chromosomes) on the development of these subgroups is still not fully understood.nt of DCs. In the study, the researchers inhibited two enzymes that regulate such epigenetic processes to see how this affects the development and function of DCs. They focused on the specific enzymes HDAC1 and HDAC2.
Enhanced immune response
Through multi-omics analyses, i.e. the analysis of several biological data such as gene expression and chromatin accessibility, the researchers found that the development of certain subgroups of DCs was impaired by the absence of HDAC1. This shows that HDAC1 plays a crucial role in their development. In the absence of HDAC1, DCs change their immune response, which improvestumor surveillance. However, the removal of the enzyme HDAC2 did not significantly impact the development of DCs.
the research indicates that eliminating HDAC1 affects the development of specific DC subsets and enhances the body’s ability to fight against tumors. These discoveries may pave the way for novel cancer immunotherapy treatments.
The study was carried out as a component of the FWF-funded PhD program DocFunds “Tissue Home,” with Cristiano de Fernandes as the lead author and a PhD student.
