Resistance to HER2-targeted anti-cancer drugs associated with immune evasion in cancer cells

Scientists at Trinity College Dublin have discovered cell-to-cell messengers released by cancer cells that are not responding to treatment can negatively affect the body’s immune system response against the disease. They have also discovered a possible way for doctors to identify those patients most at risk of treatment resistance, and this allows them to choose the best treatment for each patient. Essentially, the messengers were found to be bearers of immunosuppressive agents that inhibit the body’s immune system from fighting against the cancer. Making a bad situation worse, when the messengers were received by other cancer cells, they made those…