{"id":32822,"date":"2024-07-18T16:17:59","date_gmt":"2024-07-18T16:17:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cells4life.com\/?p=32822"},"modified":"2025-10-27T14:20:24","modified_gmt":"2025-10-27T14:20:24","slug":"stem-cell-therapy-could-treat-liver-cancer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cells4life.com\/us\/2024\/07\/stem-cell-therapy-could-treat-liver-cancer\/","title":{"rendered":"Stem Cell Therapy Could Treat Liver Cancer, Researchers Show"},"content":{"rendered":"[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”]\n

New research has emerged showing that a stem cell-derived therapy may be able to treat the most common, and deadliest, form of liver cancer.<\/span><\/p>\n

Scientists at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) have developed a therapy using natural killer (NK) cells derived from stem cells to help combat hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) – a highly treatment resistant tumour. <\/span>[1]<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

While not yet studied in patients, it\u2019s hoped that the therapy (which was tested both in vitro against HCC cell lines and in vivo in a mouse model)<\/span> will be influential in future trials for treating HCC, and other solid tumours.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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How does the stem cell therapy work?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

Like other tumour cells, hepatocellular carcinoma cells inhibit the body\u2019s immune cells from attacking them.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

By creating this immunosuppressive environment, the tumour effectively prevents itself from being targeted by the body\u2019s immune system, allowing it to propagate and spread.<\/span><\/p>\n

This makes developing treatment for solid tumours difficult. Immunotherapies using chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-expressing T-cells tend to be rather ineffective in combating solid tumours like HCC, rather than other forms of cancer, like blood cancers, for this reason. <\/span>[2]<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

In order to make an effective therapy, the team of researchers realized that they had to prevent the HCC tumour from being able to create the immunosuppressive environment in the first place.<\/span><\/p>\n

To do this, they engineered NK cells derived from human pluripotent stem cells and disabled their receptor for transforming growth factor beta (TGF-\u03b2), a protein that suppresses immune function and is abundant in HCC tumours.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Their findings showed that these modified NK cells had significantly better anti-tumor activity and improved survival rates in preclinical models than NK cells without the genetic modification. <\/span>[3]<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

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What impact will this liver cancer therapy have?<\/span><\/h3>\n

Being able to derive NK cells from induced pluripotent stem cells means that the new HCC therapy is an \u2018off-the-shelf\u2019 therapy, according to the researchers.<\/span><\/p>\n

Unlike CAR T-cell therapy, which is a highly personalized immunotherapy, the genetically modified NK cell therapy could theoretically be mass produced, say the UCSD team.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This means the therapy could vastly improve not just the effectiveness of treatment outcomes, but could also potentially streamline the treatment process for patients.<\/span><\/p>\n

Furthermore, the researchers\u2019 findings suggest that the genetic disabling of the TGF-\u03b2 receptor could be effective in treating other types of solid tumour which, like HCC, create immunosuppressive environments.<\/span><\/p>\n

The team anticipate that future clinical trials will build upon their research, taking their findings and applying them in the development of both NK cell and CAR-T cell therapies for a range of solid tumours.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Regenerative medicine and cord blood banking<\/span><\/h3>\n

Research like this highlights the importance of stem cells in driving future medical breakthroughs.<\/span><\/p>\n

Much like the induced pluripotent stem cells in this study, the stem cells in your baby\u2019s umbilical cord blood are able to differentiate into a range of cell types, including NK cells. <\/span>[4]<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Saving these stem cells for your baby provides them with the best chance of accessing more of the cutting edge therapies of the future.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

By saving their stem cells, you can be secure in the knowledge that they\u2019ll always have cells from their own perfect donor match available: themselves.<\/span><\/p>\n

To find out more about saving stem cells for your baby fill out the form below to request your FREE Info Kit.<\/span><\/p>\n

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References<\/b><\/p>\n

[1] University of California – San Diego. “Stem cell-derived therapy shows promise against treatment-resistant liver cancer.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 9 July 2024. <www.sciencedaily.com\/releases\/2024\/07\/240709184232.htm>.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

[2] Lionel A. Kankeu Fonkoua, Olivia Sirpilla, Reona Sakemura, Elizabeth L. Siegler, Saad S. Kenderian, CAR T cell therapy and the tumor microenvironment: Current challenges and opportunities, Molecular Therapy – Oncolytics, Volume 25, 2022, Pages 69-77, ISSN 2372-7705, https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.omto.2022.03.009. (https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S2372770522000511)<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

[3] Jaya Lakshmi Thangaraj, Michael Coffey, Edith Lopez, Dan S. Kaufman, <\/span>Disruption of TGF-\u03b2 signaling pathway is required to mediate effective killing of hepatocellular carcinoma by human iPSC-derived NK cells, Cell Stem Cell, 2024, ISSN 1934-5909, https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.stem.2024.06.009. (https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S1934590924002170)<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

[4] Zhao, Xiaoyan et al. \u201cCord-Blood Natural Killer Cell-Based Immunotherapy for Cancer.\u201d Frontiers in immunology vol. 11 584099. 22 Oct. 2020, doi:10.3389\/fimmu.2020.584099<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ module_class=”down-arrow” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ background_color=”#bd144f” custom_padding=”0px|||” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text admin_label=”RWP” module_id=”request-welcome-pack” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” background_layout=”dark” use_border_color=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]\n

FIND OUT MORE, REQUEST YOUR FREE INFO KIT TODAY<\/h3>\n

All you need to know to make an informed decision.<\/p>\n

Provide your contact details to request:<\/p>\n

– Complete Info Kit and your Guide to Cord Blood Banking
– Information via email
– Contact from our specialist advisors<\/p>\n

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