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Study identifies a previously unknown mechanism that contributes to intestinal cancer

June 18, 2020

A MedUni Vienna study group has identified a previously unknown mechanism involved in the development of intestinal cancer: The bacterial microbiome activates the so-called immune checkpoint Ido1 in Paneth cells, a special cell that is only found in the gastrointestinal tract, thereby preventing local intestinal inflammation.

However, this also gives rise to immunosuppressed areas, in which intestinal tumours can develop. The Paneth cells are therefore a new cellular target for immune-based therapies against intestinal tumors. The study was recently published in the Nature journal Communications Biology.

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