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Dendritic cells (artist\u2019s impression) use their tentacle-like projections to display protein fragments, triggering other immune cells to launch an attack on diseased cells.Credit: Artur Plawgo\/Science Photo Library<\/p>\n
Scientists have identified a reason why certain crucial immune cells lose their vigour inside a tumour: their mitochondria<\/a> become debilitated, according to a study1<\/a> in mice.<\/p>\n These immune cells, called dendritic cells<\/a>, normally enlist the body\u2019s immune defenses to attack invaders; however, they often fail to do so against many cancers. But, when the scientists injected dendritic cells that contained robust mitochondria into mice with cancer, the growth of the rodents\u2019 tumours slowed drastically.<\/p>\n The results could have implications for cancer therapies that harness the power of the immune system<\/a>. Such immunotherapies have had notable success against difficult-to-treat tumours, but their benefits are often limited or temporary. Improving the fitness of dendritic cells might boost such therapies\u2019 effectiveness, the study\u2019s authors say.<\/p>\n The paper tells an important lesson, says Derick Okwan-Duodu, an immunologist at Stanford University in California, who was not involved in the research. \u201cThe metabolic signature of dendritic cell[s] is critical in shaping the kind of immune response that you\u2019re going to get.\u201d<\/p>\n The findings were published today in Science.<\/p>\n Protein display<\/p>\n Mitochondria produce energy in a form that cells can use. Despite this indispensable role, they have been rarely studied in dendritic cells, says study co-author Zhiyuan You, an immunologist at St. Jude Children\u2019s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. In fact, previous research2<\/a> involving dendritic cells grown in laboratory dishes suggested that mitochondria were not central for dendritic cells\u2019 activation or maturation, says You.<\/p>\n
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