Cancers carrying mutations in the p53 tumor-suppressor protein — found in roughly half of all human malignancies — can effectively conceal those mutations from the immune cells meant to destroy them, according to new research from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute published…
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute researchers found that p53 mutations, present in roughly half of all cancers, evade immune detection by failing to display targetable surface proteins.dana-farber+1
The team's mass spectrometry analysis detected only five of 175 predicted p53 peptide candidates on tumor surfaces, revealing a major gap between genomic predictions and actual visibility.newswise
A proposed drug strategy called "immunopeptidome shifting" could force tumors to reveal new targets, potentially benefiting hard-to-treat pancreatic, ovarian, and brain cancers, according to the researchers.dana-farber+1