New two-pronged cancer treatment

Immunotherapy

This type of treatment uses the immune system to target and kill cancer cells. However some cancers are resistant to immunotherapy

T-cells are a type of immune cell that protects the body from infection. T-cells destroy virally infected cells and cancer cells

Infected

cell

T-cell

(immune cell)

Cancer cells produce a molecule which stops T-cells from recognising them as a threat – allowing the cancer to grow

Connection reads

as a non-threat

The immunotherapy drug attaches itself to T-cells, blocking the cancer's ability to hide. It is then attacked and destroyed

Connection

blocked

DNA hypomethylating agents

They work by switching off an enzyme called DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) which prevents gene transcription

Gene transcription includes genes involved in the immune response

DNA

Hypomethylating

drug

C

G

A

C

A

T

C

G

C

G

Gene

transcription

stopped

G

C

T

G

T

A

G

C

G

C

Methyl groups

The hypomethylating agent works by removing methyl groups...

Methyl groups removed

C

G

A

C

A

T

C

G

C

G

G

C

T

G

T

A

G

C

G

C

...which allows gene transcription to continue including genes that increase immunotherapy response

C

G

A

C

A

T

C

G

C

G

Gene

transcription

resumes

G

C

T

G

T

A

G

C

G

C

Immunotherapy

This type of treatment uses the immune system to target and kill cancer cells. However some cancers are resistant to immunotherapy

DNA hypomethylating agents

They work by switching off an enzyme called DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) which prevents gene transcription

T-cells are a type of immune cell that protects the body from infection. T-cells destroy virally infected cells and cancer cells

Gene transcription includes genes involved in the immune response

DNA

Hypomethylating

drug

Infected

cell

T-cell

(immune cell)

C

G

A

C

A

T

C

G

C

G

Gene

transcription

stopped

G

C

T

G

T

A

G

C

G

C

Methyl groups

Cancer cells produce a molecule which stops T-cells from recognising them as a threat – allowing the cancer to grow

The hypomethylating agent works by removing methyl groups...

Methyl groups removed

Connection reads

as a non-threat

C

G

A

C

A

T

C

G

C

G

G

C

T

G

T

A

G

C

G

C

The immunotherapy drug attaches itself to T-cells, blocking the cancer's ability to hide. It is then attacked and destroyed

...which allows gene transcription to continue including genes that increase immunotherapy response

Connection

blocked

C

G

A

C

A

T

C

G

C

G

Gene

transcription

resumes

G

C

T

G

T

A

G

C

G

C