When it comes to cancer, not everyone faces the same risk. For example, while some people who smoke for years may develop cancer, others who are exposed to similar risks may never develop the disease. Scientists have been investigating the reasons for this situation for a long time. A new evaluation indicates that the answer may lie in the body's immune response to cancer.
In an article recently published in the journal Cell, researchers focused on the possibility that some antibodies produced by the immune system may affect people's susceptibility to cancer and the course of the disease.
The immune system produces proteins called antibodies to protect the body from threats such as viruses and bacteria. These antibodies recognize germs that can cause disease and help the immune system destroy them.
But sometimes things turn out differently. Some antibodies can mistakenly attack cells or proteins in a person's own body. These types of antibodies are called 'autoantibodies'. Autoantibodies have so far been associated with diseases in which the immune system attacks healthy tissues. However, researchers think that these antibodies may not always be harmful and that some may contribute to the body's defense against cancer cells.
According to researchers, some autoantibodies may help the immune system recognize cancer cells and take action against them. If this possibility is confirmed, an important clue may be obtained as to why some people who have a high risk of developing cancer but do not develop the disease are more resistant.
Professor Jean-Laurent Casanova from the Children's Medical Center Research Institute at UT Southwestern, who is among the authors of the article, points out that the immune system may play an important role in the emergence and progression of cancer. The goal of researchers is to identify autoantibodies that may protect against cancer or affect the course of the disease.
Medical Oncology Specialist Prof. explained the subject. Dr. When I consulted Erkan Doğan, he said, "It is a really important scientific question that some people do not develop cancer despite intense smoking exposure, genetic predispositions or other carcinogens. Autoantibodies may explain a part of this, but today it is too early to say 'people who do not develop cancer are protected by their autoantibodies'. Cancer development is determined by the combination of many factors such as genetic structure, environmental exposures, lifestyle, cellular repair mechanisms, immune system and tumor microenvironment."
"Therefore, we are probably not talking about a single mechanism here, but a rather complex biological system that affects each other. Understanding at what point in this system and in which individuals autoantibodies play a protective role is an important area of research."
For this purpose, researchers plan to compare the antibodies of people with different characteristics in future studies. These will include people who do not get cancer despite smoking a lot, individuals over the age of 100, and people with certain genetic characteristics that increase the risk of developing cancer. Thus, it is aimed to reveal immune properties that can provide natural protection against cancer.
If it is confirmed that some autoantibodies protect against cancer, could it be possible to predict a person's cancer risk in the future not only by genetic tests but also by looking at the antibody profile in their blood? Prof. Dr. Erkan Doğan answered, "Theoretically, yes" and added: "If the protection of certain autoantibodies against certain types of cancer is confirmed by numerous studies conducted in different populations, it may be possible in the future for antibody profiles in the blood to contribute to personal cancer risk assessment. However, it will not be enough to look only at the presence of an antibody. We will probably talk about a biomarker panel evaluated together with age, genetic characteristics, smoking, family history and other risk factors."
"If such a test comes into clinical use, its most important contribution would be to identify high-risk people earlier and personalize screening programs. However, today it is not possible to say that such a test replaces routine cancer screenings."
"The immune system is not a system that we can only evaluate as 'strong' or 'weak'; it essentially needs to be balanced and directed towards the right target. An immune response that can recognize and eliminate cancer cells may be advantageous for us," said Prof. Dr. Erkan Doğan said, "But if the immune system loses control against its own healthy tissues, autoimmune diseases may occur. Therefore, the issue is not to strengthen the immune system as much as possible, but to ensure that it can respond to the right target, at the right time and in a controlled manner."
Prof. Dr. Erkan Doğan emphasized that known methods of cancer prevention remain important: "These studies are very valuable because they can help us evaluate the risk of cancer in the future according to much more personal and biological characteristics. But today, the most important things a person can do to reduce the risk of cancer are still much more concrete: not smoking, not drinking alcohol at all or limiting it, maintaining a healthy weight, doing regular physical activity, eating a balanced diet and having cancer screenings appropriate to their age risk status. It should be underlined especially about smoking. If a person has some protective properties genetically or in terms of the immune system, smoking means smoking." "It does not eliminate the cancer risk it poses."
