As a physician partner at Oregon Oncology Specialists in Salem, Oregon, Natasha Tiffany, MD, combines advanced care with a dedication to helping each patient through his or her cancer journey. Natasha Tiffany, MD, upholds a commitment to remaining current with immunotherapy and other developments in cancer treatment. For decades, cancer researchers have been investigating ways of activating the immune system to kill cancer cells. This immunotherapy has recently taken over as one of oncology's most promising strategies. Clinical reports have shared stories of formerly terminal patients achieving remission, and drug trials have yielded strong results. In March of 2018, researchers from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School added to the breadth of information. Stress proteins known as MICA and MICB activate receptors for natural killer (NK) cells. However, because tumors often shed these proteins to survive, the NK cells cannot attack and destroy cancer as intended. In an attempt to interrupt this process, the research team created an antibody that targets the place where proteins attach to cancer cells. Researchers found that the antibody, known as mAb 7C6, increased the number of MICA and MICB in cancer cells while helping killer cells infiltrate tumors. The treatment reduced the total number of tumors in subject mice, which had melanoma that had metastasized to the lungs. Scientists suggest the potential effectiveness of NK cell stimulation as part of a combination therapy, which may enhance immune activation while increasing the diversity of treatable tumors.
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AuthorNatasha Tiffany, MD, is a physician, educator, and research scientist currently working in Oregon. A Partner and Physician in a private practice located in the state’s capital city of Salem, Dr. Tiffany teaches at her alma mater, Oregon Health & Science University, where she is an Affiliate Assistant Professor in the Hematology and Medical Oncology Division. Archives
October 2019
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