Prof. Wysocki: the results of Nobel laureates’ work also benefit Polish patients

The cancer-fighting method, developed by this year’s Nobel Prize winners in medicine, also extends the lives of Polish patients, for example. with lung cancer,” the president of the Polish Society of Clinical Oncology told PAP. prof. Piotr Wysocki.

On Monday, the Nobel Committee announced that the Nobel Prize in Medicine and Physiology will go to American James P. Allison and Japanese Tasuku Honjo. The results of their research have contributed to the development of therapies used to treat canceroIn immunogenic, that is, those thatore disable the immune system.

As said in an interview with PAP prof. Piotr Wysocki, president of the Polish Society of Clinical Oncology, the method developed by the two scientistsow admittedly does not cure cancer patients, but contributes to a significant extension of their lives.

– For the first time we observe, m.in. In the case of melanoma and lung cancer, definitely extend the life of patients. Until more than 10 years ago, only a few percent of patients were diagnosedoin survived 1-2 years. Now ok. 40 percent. of them, even with advanced and metastatic disease, thanks to the method developed by Nobel laureateow, has a chance to survive even more than a decade,” said Prof. Wysocki. Wysocki. The scientist added that drugs developed on the basis of Allison and Honjo’s research are being used successfully in Poland.

– In Poland, we have funding for these therapies to treat lung cancer, melanoma, kidney cancer and Hodgkin’s lymphoma. We are waiting for reimbursement of the drugow, m.In. for head and neck cancer, bladder cancer,” he added. As the method continues to be new and improved each year, more drugs targeting more cancers are emerging. They are also successively making their way onto the list of drugsoin reimbursed,” added.

Doctors probowali and prob are still very roof different strategies to fight cancer. One of them was proba such a stimulation of the patient’s body – his immune system – that it successfully fights cancer. – The concept has evolved into more effective tools to stimulate the immune system. It was, however, a dead end, because in this way theob there has been a counterproductive reaction – treatment was more harmful than the disease,” says the researcher.

Scientists have determined over time that canceror blocks the immune system and its comorki – lymphocytes. The key to fighting it, therefore, turned out to be removing this blockage. – This is what this year’s Nobel laureates have done. Komocancer cases come into contact with comor cells of the immune system (T lymphocytes). Lymphocytes, by definition, should recognize and destroy comork cancer. But in the case of advanced cancer, it’s usually the case that it’s tumoror destroys lymphocytes. Nobel laureates have identified this interaction and developed a method ktora prevents the tumor from counterattacking the lymphocytes,” explains an expert.

Bringing the wayob action of the therapy scientist uses metaphor. – It is difficult to push a carod, even with gorki, when the latter has the handbrake applied with all its might. Instead of lashing out, just slow it down – the car will roll away on its own. This is the principle behind the immunotherapy developed by Nobel laureateow. At the moment, when enlisted by the tumoror immune response inhibitor is turned off the body is able to cope with the disease on its own, its immune system begins to work on its own without additional stimulation – he tells.

The scientist is surprised that Allison and Honjo received the Nobel so quickly. Often researchers have to wait for this honor for up to several decades. – In this case, the moWe are talking about a method thatora was put into practice just 8 years ago – then the first drug developed based on Nobel Prize-winning research was registeredow – adds.

– The concept of this year’s Nobelow is being developed, and the number of clinical trials thatore going on over immunotherapy, it is growing in waysob geometric,” he pointed out.

According to prof. Wysocki none of the methods of fighting cancer is perfect. This is also the case with immunotherapy. It turns out that half of patients do not respond to it, and in about 10 percent of patients. patientow can even accelerate the disease. There are also cancers, whichore completely unresponsive to such treatment. That’s why immunotherapy is currently being studied in combination with other cancer drugs.

– In the coming years in oncology, immunology will certainly face yet another Nobel related to modifying lymphocytesow – predicts prof. Wysocki. One of the waysow is based on embedding a special "target" on cancer – in this wayob lymphocytes are able to seek out and destroy cancer cellsocancer cells.