Scientists find way to help ‘exhausted’ white blood cells

Giving white blood cells a boost could help the body tackle cancer. Keystone

The discovery of a gene that wears out white blood cells could pave the way to boosting the immune system as it battles cancer.

While it is known that T Lymphocyte white blood cells become exhausted during prolonged exposure to tumours, the exact cause of this phenomenon has only just been discovered.

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Researchers at the University of Basel and University Hospital Basel have identified the cause as gene SNX9.

They found that T Lymphocyte cells remained more effective against tumours for longer when the gene was deactivated using CRISPR/Cas9 gene scissors.

“This can be important in situations where every hour counts in the fight against the disease,” said lead author Marcel Trefny.

The findings could have a profound impact on the effectiveness of immunotherapy treatments, the researchers said in a paper published in the journal Nature Communications.

But before this can be implemented, scientists must first test for any adverse side-effects when they switch off gene SNX9.