The more types of white blood cell antigens in cancer patients, the better the immune efficacy

a new study published in the British journal Nature Medicine found that the more types of white blood cell antigens in cancer patients, the better they were at receiving immunotherapy. Doctors in the future are expected to provide better individualized treatment based on the genetic map of human white blood cell antigens in cancer patients.
cancer immunotherapy is one of the cancer immunotherapy that removes tumor cells from the body by strengthening the body's own immune system. When cancer patients are treated with immuno-checkpoint inhibitors, certain proteins that reduce the immune response are suppressed, and immune cells are better able to fight cancer cells. However, some patients have a clear effect, while others have little effect.
researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology in Germany and their American counterparts found that patients with more types of human leukocyte antigen variants responded better to immunosuppressants and survived longer.
human lewd cell antigen variant binds to several different pathogens or cancer cell protein fragments, explains Tobias Lentz of the institute, co-author of the paper. The more human white blood cell antigen variants, the more pathogens they provide to immune cells. This increases the chances that the immune system will recognize
cancer cells.
researchers say the genetic diversity of human white blood cell antigens can be determined by DNA analysis. At present, such analysis is being clinically evaluated, and it is expected that human le white blood cell antigen diversity analysis will be used as part of cancer diagnosis in the future to provide individualized treatment for cancer patients. (Source: Xinhua News Agency)