Shahrin Ahmed: Flagellin and immunodeficiency in patients with ovarian cancer
Shahrin Ahmed, Medical Specialist at the Canadian Cancer Society, shared a post on X:
“Flagellin and immunodeficiency in patients with ovarian cancer.
In some patients with ovarian cancer, immune checkpoint therapy may not be effective due to gut bacteria interference.
One of the most deadly gynecologic cancers in the nation, ovarian cancer accounts for more than 10,000 deaths annually in North America. The survival rates have not greatly improved in the past several decades, despite the improvement in clinical management of the disease.
At first, patients undergoing ovarian cancer treatment were enthusiastic about the possibility of immune checkpoint therapy, a type of immunotherapy that enhances the immune system’s ability to destroy cancer. Immune checkpoint therapy has been effective in improving outcomes among patients with melanoma, urothelial carcinoma, and other types of cancers, but ovarian cancer cells were resistant to treatment.
Flagellin is the material used to make the microscopic, locomotive structures in bacteria. Flagellin was identified as a potential cause of a poor response to immune checkpoint therapy in patients with ovarian cancer.
It is known that immune therapy fails due to the recognition of bacterial flagellin by immune cells. Flagellin’s inhibition of immune checkpoint therapy response for ovarian cancer is a unique reason that we are currently investigating.
The researchers aim to make use of the findings of their study to improve the care provided to patients with ovarian cancer and other cancers. This patient population needs more research to enhance the efficacy of immune checkpoint therapy.”
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