CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WAND)- Erik Nelson is a professor of Molecular and Integrative Physiology at the University of Illinois. Nelson is also the program leader of the Cancer Center of Illinois while being a a founder of the CCIL Cancer Research Advocacy Group.
His work with cancer patients and survivors allows him to take their perspectives into his own research.
Nelson says that the Cancer Research Advocacy Group "... interacts with scientists like myself and inform us where are the shortfalls in treatment."
After posing this question, the answer was clear.
"They were very concerned with developing recurrent and metastatic disease" he shares.
When deciding where to start, Erik took a closer look at our immune systems.
It was there that he discovered a new role for a protein called NR0B2, specifically in maintaining the balance of T cells in the body, a type of white blood cell that helps humans fight infection.
"We started with publicly available data sets from real human tumors and found that NR0B2 was associated with a better survival...And what's more exciting is we were able to develop a new small molecule or drug that can target this protein!"
From there, Erik and his team created a new drug that will interact with NR0B2 to fight against cells that suppress the immune system. Thus, ultimately strengthening the immune system's ability to slow or stop tumor growth.
"Our goal is to develop this new drug as an option for patients so that they can take it with that chemotherapy and hopefully boost its effects," Erik says proudly, showing his mouse models that are already seeing great results at shrinking tumors.Â
Although roughly ten years away from clinical trials with humans, Erik is excited at the results from these labs so far. Their ability to use cells in the body help create a safe and nontoxic way to help curb tumor growth.
"We still have a long way to go, but I believe that unlocking the immune system is going to revolutionize our ability to treat the disease."
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