Scientists from the Garvan Institute of Medical Research in Australia have made an important discovery that could change the way doctors think about blood cancer and immune diseases.
They found that certain changes in our genes, which are linked to leukemia, can also cause immune cells to behave in dangerous ways. Instead of protecting the body, these immune cells can turn against it and attack healthy tissues.
This new research explains why some people with leukemia also develop autoimmune problems like rheumatoid arthritis or aplastic anemia.
To understand why this discovery matters, it helps to know how the immune system works. Our immune system is like an army that protects the body.
Its job is to find and destroy harmful invaders such as viruses, bacteria, and even cancer cells. One type of immune cell, called the killer T cell, plays a big role in this defense. These cells are usually very precise, only attacking cells that are dangerous.
But in this study, the scientists found that a protein called STAT3 can change how these killer T cells behave.
If there are certain genetic variations affecting STAT3, the killer T cells stop following the rules. They start multiplying too quickly, ignoring the body’s natural controls, and attacking healthy cells. When this happens, instead of protecting the body, they actually cause autoimmune diseases.
Leukemia is a cancer of the blood that develops when abnormal blood cells grow uncontrollably. Normally, the immune system should be able to detect and fight off dangerous cells like these. But in leukemia, cancer cells learn how to hide from the immune system.
On the other hand, autoimmune diseases occur when the immune system gets confused and mistakenly attacks the body’s own tissues. For years, doctors noticed that leukemia patients often also suffered from autoimmune problems, but the reason behind this connection wasn’t clear. This new study finally gives us a clearer picture.
The researchers carefully studied blood samples from children who were born with rare inherited autoimmune diseases. They also used a powerful gene-editing tool called CRISPR/Cas9 to change the STAT3 gene in mice.
This allowed them to see exactly how these changes affected immune cells. What they found was striking: even if only 1 to 2 percent of killer T cells became “rogue” cells, it was enough to trigger an autoimmune disease. This shows how small genetic changes can have a big impact on health.
This discovery could have important effects on how doctors treat patients in the future. There are already medicines, such as JAK inhibitors, that can help calm down an overactive immune system. These drugs are already approved for use in Australia by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA).
In the future, doctors might be able to test a patient’s blood for these specific gene changes and then choose the right medicine to stop the rogue cells before they cause too much damage.
The study also revealed two special receptor systems that are linked to stress and help immune cells communicate with each other. Learning more about these systems may give scientists new ways to control immune responses more effectively.
It also raises hope that doctors will one day be able to run advanced blood tests that detect rogue cells early, before a patient develops serious illness.
The research, led by Dr. Etienne Masle-Farquhar and published in the journal Immunity, shows the importance of understanding the genetic triggers behind diseases.
By learning how genes like STAT3 affect immune cells, scientists are opening the door to better treatments for both leukemia and autoimmune conditions. This breakthrough could help patients live healthier lives by catching problems earlier and treating them more precisely.
If you care about cancer, please read studies about Scientists find important cause of pancreatic cancer and findings of Scientists find a big cause of liver cancer.
For more about cancer, please read studies about Research shows a surprising cause of cancer and findings of The surprising impact of anxiety drugs on pancreatic cancer survival.
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