Jerusalem– In a groundbreaking development, an international team of researchers from Israel, the United States, and China has created a genetic method to reprogram certain immune cells—transforming them from tumor allies into cancer-fighting agents.
The study, led by scientists at Israel’s Weizmann Institute of Science, focused on macrophages, a type of immune cell known for inducing immune responses. While macrophages typically play a protective role, in many cancers they are co-opted to support tumor growth and aid in its spread, according to a report from Xinhua news agency.
Using advanced gene-editing tools and artificial intelligence, the researchers analyzed human tumor samples and identified 120 genes potentially involved in this transformation.
“Macrophages are highly versatile cells—like a Swiss Army knife of the immune system—capable of activating a wide range of functions depending on the situation,” said Professor Ido Amit of Weizmann’s Systems Immunology Department.
He explained that macrophages have the potential to be powerful cancer-fighters, capable of promoting inflammation that targets tumors and alerting the broader immune system to cancer’s presence. That potential is exactly why many solid tumors manipulate macrophages to work in their favor.
“Tumors protect themselves by turning off the macrophages’ ‘nasty’ side, while activating functions that help them grow—such as suppressing other immune cells and stimulating blood vessel growth to supply the tumor with oxygen,” Amit said.
Using CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing and single-cell analysis, the researchers identified a gene called Zeb2 as a master switch in this process. When Zeb2 is active, it converts macrophages into tumor supporters. When silenced, macrophages revert to their original, tumor-fighting state.
Further investigation revealed that Zeb2 modifies the epigenome—the genome’s regulatory system—activating genes that support cancer while deactivating those that oppose it.
To counteract this, the team designed a DNA molecule capable of delivering a gene-silencing agent directly into macrophages. In mouse models with bladder cancer, injecting the molecule into tumors successfully reprogrammed the macrophages and led to a significant reduction in tumor size. (Source: IANS)
