The time of day is crucial for immunotherapies against cancer
Published: Thursday, May 16th 2024, 15:50
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Tumors change depending on the time of day. This was shown by a research team from Geneva and Germany in a new study. These fluctuations could lead to misdiagnosis and the prescription of unsuitable treatments, the university announced on Thursday.
The composition, quantity, type and properties of the immune cells in the tumors can vary considerably, as the research team led by Christoph Scheiermann from the University of Geneva (Unige) showed in a study published in the journal "Cell".
To find this out, the researchers injected melanoma tumor cells into mice and removed the resulting tumor two weeks later at different times of the day.
Depending on the time at which a biopsy is performed, the number of immune cells infiltrating a tumor can be high or low. This plays a role for immunotherapies, which are considered a promising therapeutic option against cancer.
Treatment better in the early morning
To get to the bottom of the matter, the scientists administered two approved and widely used treatment methods to their groups of mice: CAR-T cells and checkpoint inhibitors.
"Administered at the wrong time, these treatments were unsuccessful. At the right time, the tumor burden decreased significantly," said Scheiermann according to the press release.
These studies on mice were confirmed by the survival rates of patients, as reported by the University of Geneva. Early morning treatment is systematically associated with a better survival rate. This is also when the immune system is most active.
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