Immunologists Win Big with Nobel Prize

Earlier this week the recipients of this year’s Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine were announced.  Two cancer immunologists, Dr. James Allison of the U.S. and Dr. Tasuku Honjo of Japan, took home the highly sought after award for their work on manipulating the immune system to fight off tumors. Their research has been groundbreaking and helped pave the way for new cancer therapies.

The underlying causes of cancer development vary greatly (genetics, environment, and age etc. can all play a role) but all cancers are caused by the dysregulation of cell division meaning that if cells begin to replicate in a frenzied and uncontrollable fashion they are often considered cancerous. This erratic style of division can then lead to the formation of a tumor, a clump of uncontrolled cells and well-known hallmark of cancer. Because these cancer cells replicate much faster than normal cells, they can be recognized by the body as unhealthy and an immune response is mounted to kill them.

However, tumors are tricky and can hide themselves from the immune system and even shut down an immune response that is actively forming against them. The cells can stop this response via the expression of proteins known as “immune checkpoints” on their surface. Dr. Allison and Dr. Honjo were seminal in the early studies of these kinds of proteins back in the 1990s. Dr. Allison worked extensively with an immune checkpoint protein called CTLA-4 and Dr. Honjo identified and thoroughly studied a similar protein named PD-1.

CTLA-4 and PD-1 are able to halt the anti-tumor immune response by blocking tumor recognition and thus preventing clearance. In other words, these proteins put the metaphorical brakes on the immune system therefore allowing the tumor to continue grow without penalty. To overcome these “brakes”, a treatment called immune checkpoint therapy can be used.  Immune checkpoint therapy works to inhibit these protein “brakes” like CTLA-4 and PD-1 thus allowing the body to again work towards clearing the cancerous cells.

While immune checkpoint therapies don’t work for every individual or every cancer type, they are still a staple therapeutic and created a new concept for immunotherapy treatments that have helped advance the field of cancer treatment.  These therapies have also saved and continue to save countless lives and cure individuals otherwise plagued with disease.  Additionally, since CTLA-4 and PD-1’s initial discoveries in the late 1980s and early 1990s, similar proteins are still being discovered and studied today holding the promise for even more treatment options.

Of course many individuals go into science with the goal to save lives much like Dr. Allison and Dr. Honjo have. However, science can be grueling and scientists can often question their career choices when things get tough (which unfortunately can be often). Nobel prize week is an exciting time for scientists regardless of their field of study (the Nobel prize for Physics and Chemistry were also announced this week).  Not only does this week offer a chance for very deserving scientists to receive the appropriate recognition, but it also serves as an opportunity to reinvigorate young scientists and remind them why they initially pursued a career in science.

Ashley

(Picture from Abigail Malate, Staff Illustrator for Inside Science)