University of Virginia Cancer Center researchers have explained the failure of immune checkpoint therapy for ovarian cancer by discovering how gut bacteria interfere with the treatment. Doctors may be able to use the findings to overcome this treatment failure and save the lives of thousands of women every year.
The new discovery, from the lab of UVA's Melanie Rutkowski, PhD, speaks to the surprising ways that the microbiome – the collection of organisms that live on and inside our bodies – is vital not only to maintain health but for the effectiveness of medical treatments.
As a leading microbiome researcher, Rutkowski is excited about the potential of her field to improve care not just for ovarian cancer but for many other cancers. She has already shown, for example, how an unhealthy gut microbiome helps breast cancer spread.
"As soon as we are born, the gut microbiome is critical for educating our immune system so that diseases are controlled and that we are not damaged in the process by an over exuberant immune response," she said. "We and others are discovering the far-reaching impact that microbiome/immune cell interactions have on almost every aspect of our being, from influencing metabolic health, organ health and even the relationship between the gut and the brain. This is why it is critically important to understand how the relationship between our microbiome and immune system changes during a disease like cancer, as this research could uncover novel therapies capable of helping the immune system kill cancer cells."
