A Maltese scientist is at the forefront of research that could eventually lead to better targeting and destroying of cancer cells by the body’s immune system.
David Saliba, of the University of Oxford, formed part of an international research collaboration, which found communication between immunological T cells and B cells. The study found that the T cells, which Dr Saliba describes as “guard dogs”, communicated with B cells using the molecule dopamine.
The finding took scientists by surprise because dopamine is a neurotransmitter, which is not usually associated with an immunological role.
The fascinating discovery opened up new ways of looking at these systems, which could eventually lead to the development of new drugs
The study’s findings were featured last month in an article in the scientific journal Nature.
Dr Saliba said the dopamine release by the T cells motivated the B cells to produce more antibodies to attack an invading pathogen or cancer cells. He pointed out that the fascinating discovery opened up new ways of looking at these systems, which could eventually lead to the development of new drugs.
Our body is under constant attack from both internal and external sources of disease. Dr Saliba noted that the immune system was critical in defending against cancerous cells and those that had mutated.
“Our immune system is constantly combatting these and constantly recognising the growth of cancerous cells. Immune cells kill these and this happens pretty much on a daily basis,” he continued.
He said that better understanding of how the immune cells worked could eventually lead to the development of drugs to enhance it and allow it to specifically destroy cancerous cells and pathogens.
“If we get our own bodies to defend themselves against cancerous cells, it is much better from a therapeutic perspective than using drugs that destroy everything,” Dr Saliba remarked.
It is not all plain sailing for scientists at the forefront of such research. Just two weeks ago, the Maltese scientist faced a 3am setback when three of his experiments suffered technical failures.
“It can be extremely debilitating but nothing compared to what people suffering with cancer go through. There’s excitement in science, as well as frustrations. When things go right, the natural high is unbeatable,” he said.
Dr Saliba, who is also a research scientist at the University of Malta, added that, despite being able to boast the talent, local research remained under-funded. “Maltese science is competitive. We need to be competitive when it comes to funding too. We have the smart people. Let’s give them the platform,” he said.