The University of North Carolina (UNC) Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center researchers have discovered a hyperactive cell that contributes to tumor growth in primary effusion lymphoma and a potential treatment strategy to block down its downstream effects.
The primary effusion lymphoma is a highly aggressive subtype of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a type of blood cancer involving abnormally growing white blood cells. The researchers also developed an experimental therapeutic, UNC3810A, to block the signal and slow tumor growth.
Besides this, researchers also found a protein called Tyro3 that’s highly upregulated and expressed in a subtype of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, called primary effusion lymphoma. Researchers also developed a compound that targeted Tyro3 and found that it killed primary effusion lymphoma cells and tumors.
UNC Lineberger’s Blossom Damania, Ph.D., vice dean for research in the UNC School of Medicine, Wong, Johnson, and Wang, other authors included Timothy J Stuhlmiller, Louise C. Giffin, Carolina Lin, Rachele Bigi, Jichen Zhao, Weihe Zhang, Ariana G Bravo Cruz, Steven Park, H Shelton Earp, Dirk P Dittmer, and Stephen V Frye.
