Chinese scientists have discovered the "Super Warrior" cells immune to tumor cells in the microenvironment of gastric cancer. (Schematic diagram of the research)
(ECNS) -- Chinese medical experts have discovered and verified "Super Warrior" cells immune to tumor cells in the microenvironment of gastric cancer after three years of research, shedding light on the improvement of prognostic models for gastric cancer patients and customized immunotherapy.
After studying a large sample composed of four patient cohorts (from different clinical centers), the research team led by Professor Xu Jiejie from Fudan University found that CXCR5+CD8+T cells can act as a new prognosticator, potential immunotherapy targets and guiding factors for individualized medication of gastric cancer patients.
According to Xu, the early symptoms of gastric cancer are not obvious so many patients are already in a progressive stage at the time of diagnosis. Though standardized radical operation for cancer and postoperative chemotherapy could benefit patients, the prognosis of most patients is not optimistic. Therefore, it is of great significance to discover new gastric cancer treatment-responsive markers to achieve targeted treatment for patients.
The research team found that more CXCR5+CD8+T cells predict better overall survival. And patients with higher CXCR5+CD8+T cell infiltration are more likely to benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy. Relevant conclusions have been proved in the study on four patient cohorts.
The study results were published Tuesday in Nature Communications, part of international academic journal Nature.
