A recent study showed that the elderly people with cancer respond well to its strong new drugs despite the age -related changes that make their immune system less effective.
Daniel Zabranski of the University of Johns Hopkins University – in a statement – said that by identifying the differences in the response of the immune system known as “checkpoints” inhibitors or immune barriers in younger patients compared to the largest patients, the research team hopes to improve the next generation of drugs and use current drugs more effectively in all patients.
The researchers team analyzed the indicators of the immune system in the blood samples of nearly 100 patients with cancer treated with immune barriers, and almost half of them at the age of at least 65 years.
The immunotherapy drugs are widely used to the effect of proteins that work “checkpoints” or a barrier in front of the response of the immune system.
In practice, medicines release “brakes” for the immune system, allowing T -cells to identify and attack cancer cells more effectively.
Among the drugs (Citeroda) produced by Merk & Co, and also (Obdivo) from Bristol Maires Squis, and (Tesenterek) from Roche.
The study, published on Monday in the journal Nature Communichens, showed that young and older patients alike benefited from the treatment well.
This is achieved in older patients despite the decrease in production and natural activity of inflammatory protein compounds known as cytokines or their weakness.
Older patients also had fewer and “obese” immune cells, known as “naive” T cells.
The researchers note that the “talcean depletion” they saw in older patients is already a target for experimental cancer drugs in the research phase.
They said that such drugs called drugs that inhibit the naive T -cells that are being developed by companies such as Roche, Bristol Myers and Strazinica may provide a possible potential benefit for the elderly.