An international research team has reached a promising method for targeting cancer cells that show drug resistance, based on the genetic changes that allow these tumors to escape treatment.
“Treatment resistance” is considered one of the most prominent challenges facing cancer treatment, as many types of cancer, especially those that have spread to other areas of the body, respond well initially to drugs such as hormone therapy, chemotherapy, or targeted drugs.
However, over time, cancer cells begin to mutate and adapt, and learn how to avoid the effects of these treatments. At this stage, the drugs stop working, and treatment options become limited.
Instead of focusing on preventing the spread of cancer, scientists have directed their efforts towards studying the genetic mutations that appear when tumors become resistant to treatment. They discovered that these mutations may leave distinct molecular signatures on cancer cells.
To identify these genetic signatures, the researchers developed an advanced computer tool called “SpotNeoMet.” This tool analyzes the genetic data of tumors to detect mutations associated with drug resistance, which are repeated among many patients.
These mutations produce small protein fragments known as neoantigens. These neoantigens are characterized by their appearance only on cancer cells without healthy cells, making them ideal targets for the immune system.
The idea is based on using these common neoantigens to design innovative immunotherapies, which are treatments that train the body’s immune system to recognize and attack cancer cells, while preserving healthy tissues.
The team tested this method on metastatic prostate cancer, a disease where most patients eventually stop responding to traditional treatments.
Using “SpotNeoMet,” they were able to identify 3 new antigens associated with drug resistance, which were prevalent among many patients.
“When these new antigens were tested in laboratory experiments and on animal models, they stimulated immune responses that specifically targeted cancer cells.”
The results indicate the possibility of directing the immune system to attack tumors using these resistance-related indicators.
One of the most important advantages of this discovery is that it reduces the need for personalized treatments tailored to each patient, which can be very costly and take a long time to develop.
Instead, this approach focuses on resistance mutations common among many patients, which opens the door to treatments that benefit a larger group of people with hard-to-treat cancers.
The researchers emphasize that this strategy can later be applied to other types of cancer that become resistant to treatment.
