New research from the Indiana University School of Medicine shows that a gene known for fighting cancer can also help certain immune cells support tumor growth.
The study, published in Science Advances, focused on M2-like macrophages—immune cells that weaken the body’s ability to fight cancer. Scientists found that when the gene serine/threonine kinase 11 (STK11) is missing in these cells, they shift into a state that helps tumors grow.
In a pancreatic cancer mouse model, tumors progressed faster when these immune cells lacked the gene.
Researchers said the findings could lead to more effective treatments by targeting how immune cells behave inside tumors. Future studies will examine how the immune environment changes as cancer advances.
The work was supported by the National Institutes of Health and conducted through the IU Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center. Research was supported by funding from the National Institutes of Health.
