A 2023 study on a possible remission of cancer following COVID-19 is back in the news. Researchers from AIIMS are also analysing the reports to understand whether metastasis, or advancement of cancer, could be slowed by what they call a specialised type of white blood cell – induced non-classical monocytes (I-NCMs). These blood cells were produced by the body to fight severe COVID in some patients
The majority of immunotherapy medicines for pancreatic cancer are now in clinical development.
New Delhi: Some Indian scientists and researchers are scrutinising a report on whether it is possible for the body to fight cancers on its own without the aid of any external treatment or even without the use of chemotherapy. In 2023, there was a comprehensive study done by De Nigris and colleagues which they published in the ‘Journal of Translational Medicine’ where in they found that there were 16 cases that involved different types of cancers – leukemia, lymphoma, myeloma, and kidney cancer to name a few which showed a reversal of outcomes due to the presence of certain WBCs in the body of the patients. They also went on to call these special blood cells as ‘induced non-classical monocytes’.
Is it possible for I-NCMs to reverse cancer on it’s own? We asked experts to weigh in, and they said it is rare but could be possible. What’s more, the researchers also found that these blood cells were usually found when the body fought severe infections, including a severe and virulent form of COVID-19.
What are these WBCs
During the course of their study, the researchers had to work with laboratory mice. They induced these blood cells in the body of the mice and the findings left them astounded. They observed that the special blood cells slowed down the spread of certain types of caner to a certain degree. The cells are usually generated through very severe infections, such as the virulent variant of the COVID-19. The study quoted – “The I-NCMs were able to leave blood vessels and migrate to tumours, where they launch an attack on cancer cells.”
“It is extremely rare that blood vessels migrate to tumours. If it does happen, it will only be a chance luck with a very questionable strike rate,” said Dr Nishikant Dubey a chemotherapist in Gurgaon. He added that only some known instances of neuroblastoma, a rare childhood tumour, may occasionally disappear without treatment. “This improvement in condition may be due to a newly-activated immune system that has spontaneously gained the ability to target cancer cells,” he said.
Other cancer specialists that we spoke with also said the same – cancers do not go away on their own. In fact, very few advanced treatment options are available to treat this debilitating disease from the root. “Immunotherapy is by far the best case for treating tumours that are both benign and malignant,” says Dr Rishi Chawla from Fortis.
Both Dr Chawla and Dubey went on to examine why I-NCMs, which are basically derived from monocytes that circulate in the bloodstream, are involved with fighting off infections, immune regulation and even for repairing of damaged tissue. The I-NCMs are stronger monocytes but the body doesn’t necessarily produce it in numbers.
Dr Dubey explains why it is believed that these specialised blood cells could be the reason that a cancer can disappear and never come back. “Unlike other monocytes that are commonly found as the body’s response to an ailment, I-NCMs possess a receptor called the CCR2. This is unique because it has the potential to act like a special antenna which can detect signals emitted by certain types of cancer cells or inflamed tissues,” he said without getting into too many technicalities.
It is these signals that guide the I-NCMs to the source and compels them to perform specific tasks. Take for an example, the task at hand for this receptor at a site for infections. These monocytes help eliminate pathogens. Similarly if directed towards a tumour site, they recruit other immune cells called natural killer (NK) cells. It is the NK that has been found to be effective at destroying cancer cells.
“Natural killer cells, unlike the name suggests, is not found in all human bodies. It is a vital component of the immune system, which is responsible for directly targeting and eliminating abnormal-appearing cells, even cancer cells or virus-infected ones. NK cells don’t require prior approval from the body’s adaptive immune system. It is rare but possible that such cells work as defenders against infections and even cancer.
Can this research be fruitful in out fight against cancer? Dr Dubey says it will take a few decades for scientists to precisely learn how to use these blood cells to reverse outcomes of cancer. “We are researching on the topic every day. There will be monocytes that fight cancer cells but what is their strike rate or whether one can be assured of the treatment methodology cannot be ascertained,” he said in conclusion.
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