Scientists uncover a "one-two punch" for fighting cancer

Checkpoint inhibitor therapies can be thought of as the molecular “brake release” for the immune system. These drugs eliminate the protein barriers that impede the immune system from recognizing and targeting cancer cells in the body. While there are multiple checkpoint inhibitors approved to treat different types of cancer, many patients don’t respond or develop resistance to available regiments.
A Scripps Research team has now found that ruxolitinib, an approved immunosuppressive drug, supercharged T-cell responses when used alongside checkpoint inhibitors-boosting their effectiveness in fighting cancer. These findings, published in Science on June 21, are supported by a phase I clinical trial of patients with Hodgkin lymphoma, as well as preclinical models.
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