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(Ivanhoe Newswire) – Normally the body can fight off infections and other assaults from the environment by launching an attack by the immune system. But somehow tumors are allowed to develop unchecked.

Now British researchers are helping to explain why. Their study shows tumors are full of cells normally responsible for telling another component in the body when it is okay to shut down the inflammatory response. Inflammation is the key way the body fights off infection or other invaders. Regulatory T cells step in after the need for inflammation has passed, such as when you get a minor cut or scrape, telling macrophages, which normally cause the inflammation, that it’s time to back off.

In the case of tumors, however, regulatory T cells are in such abundant supply that macrophages only get the message to keep inflammation at bay. No inflammation means no immune response aimed at ridding the body of the tumor.

“We hope to be able to use this new knowledge about the relationship between regulatory T cells and macrophages to find more effective treatments for tumors,” study author Dr. Leonie Taams was quoted as saying.

There’s a flip side to the research as well. The finding may also lead to new and better ways to cut off inflammation in conditions where it runs out of control, such as in rheumatoid arthritis.

This article was reported by Ivanhoe.com, which offers Medical Alerts by e-mail every day of the week. To subscribe, click on: http://www.ivanhoe.com/newsalert/.

SOURCE: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,
published online Nov. 19, 2007.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, November 20th, 2007 at 1:11 pm and is filed under Medical News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.