New findings on the treatment of skin lymphomas
Researchers from Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, the Max Delbrück Center and the Medical University of Vienna have gained new insights into treatment options of a rare form of blood cancer that infiltrates the skin: the cutaneous T-cell-lymphomas. In this section, Prof. Stephan Mathas, one of the two study leads, answers questions about their research findings.
What was the research question or scientific inquiry behind your study?
Cutaneous T-cell lymphomas (CTCL) are rare forms of blood cancer, in which particular cells of our immune system, so-called T-cells, transform into cancer cells and infiltrate the skin. Especially with advanced disease, the prognosis is poor. Overall, effective treatment options are limited, and quality of life can be severely impaired by itchy and painful skin. Therefore, new therapeutic approaches are needed.
How did you approach the topic?
The aim of our study was to find new docking sites on these malignant cells, which could serve as therapeutic targets in the future to treat cutaneous T-cell lymphomas. We have been researching lymphomas for many years. In a German-Austrian collaborative project led by Olaf Merkel from the Medical University of Vienna and myself, we searched for a corresponding target structure in cell lines and in a large number of lymphoma samples.
What did you discover?
Our study showed that one structure, CD74, is consistently found on different forms of cutaneous T-cell lymphomas using a variety of methods. We also found that novel cancer therapies, that combine an antibody with a cancer-killing agent and specifically dock to this site, can kill lymphoma cells with great efficacy in various test series. Additionally, the cells were completely eliminated in animal models.
What’s your takeaway?
Our work shows that CD74 as docking site is an attractive target for new therapies against these lymphomas. Our findings provide a solid base for future clinical trials, that will still need to investigate the efficacy of CD74-based treatment approaches in humans. Antibodies against this structure may be a promising way to improve current treatment options for patients with cutaneous T-cell lymphomas.
Contact
Prof. Stephan Mathas
Experimental and Clinical Research Center (ECRC)
Max Delbrück Center & Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin
