What is it about?
This study shows how anti-cancer drugs like auranofin kill cancer cells in some settings but ultimately may lead to cancer resistance. It does this by increasing the the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which can kill cancer cells. However, ROS can also tell the body's immune system to slow down or to not harm cancer cells. Regulatory T cells are an important immune cell that mediates this process and these cells are increased when general T cells are activated in an environment with elevated levels of ROS.
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Why is it important?
The body, through its immune system, uses ROS to kill harmful pathogens. Likewise clinicians use a range of therapies that increase ROS levels to kill cancer cells. However these treatment strategies may paradoxically lead to the body slowing down or not fighting to clear cancer cells.
Perspectives
Developers of anti-cancer therapies should consider the impact these therapies could have on the immune system and mitigate the possibility of increased immune tolerance from treatment.
Michael Y. Bonner
Karolinska Institutet
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Anti-Tumoral Treatment with Thioredoxin Reductase 1 Inhibitor Auranofin Fosters Regulatory T Cell and B16F10 Expansion in Mice, Antioxidants, November 2025, MDPI AG,
DOI: 10.3390/antiox14111351.
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