White blood cells "have two brushes" that can help destroy malignant tumors

A new study from Tel Aviv University found that eosinophils-a type of white blood cell-are recruited to fight cancer metastasis in the lungs

The research was led by Professor Ariel Munitz and PhD student Sharon Grisaru from the Department of Microbiology and Clinical Immunology at Sackler School of Medicine

The researchers explained that eosinophils are white blood cells in the immune system that produce powerful, destructive proteins-originally used to fight parasites

Assuming that the destructive power of eosinophils may prove to be beneficial, if it is used to fight cancer cells, the researchers began the current study

First, the researchers examined human cancer tissue-biopsies taken from lung metastases from breast cancer patients

To study the role of eosinophils in metastatic tumors, the researchers used animal models

Professor Munitz: "We have observed that when eosinophils are missing, tissues will also lack T cells-a known anti-cancer white blood cell

Extensive analysis of eosinophils found in metastatic tumors led to two important findings: First, in the presence of cancer, eosinophils release large amounts of chemokines-substances that call T cells; second, These chemokines are released when eosinophils are exposed to IFN-g and TNF-a, two other substances found in the cancer environment

Professor Munitz: "Increasing the number and ability of T cells is one of the main goals of immunotherapy for cancer patients today

This research was funded by the Israel Cancer Research Foundation (ICRF), the Israel Cancer Society, the Israel Science Foundation (ISF), the U.

Article link:

https://cancerres.

DOI

0008-5472.

Article title

Metastasis-entrained eosinophils enhance lymphocyte-mediated anti-tumor immunity