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This article
reminded me of just how complicated a biological system can be if it is the
result of natural selection operating on blind chance.
So, you know
all about T cells, right. You also know
that they can be modified; largely using CRISPR technology, to acknowledge
cancer cells as “enemy”, and throttle them.
Yeah, but did you know that these same T cells can become “exhausted”,
and just hang around doing nothing? Neither
did I. Moreover, I can’t imagine how and
why such a trait ever evolved. But it
did, and perhaps someday we will find out why - and make medical use of the
knowledge. But don’t hold your breath.
Well,
anyway, new research shows that some tumors are chock full of these exhausted T
cells which, rather than doing their cytotoxic job, are just loafing
around. It transpires that certain
transcription factors are involved.
Transcription factors, as I’ll bet you already know, are proteins
involved in determining which genes are “transcribed” into proteins – are “expressed”,
in bio-speak. Anyway, exhausted T cells
are chock full of transcription factors designed, it appears, to make them
tired. Why evolution should have coughed
up such an obviously stupid arrangement certainly is a mystery to me; perhaps
the people in white coats will figure it out – and turn their knowledge into
effective weapons against cancer. Let’s
hope so.
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