近日，美国研究人员发现一种蛋白质具有治疗黑色素瘤这种皮肤癌的功效，这种蛋白质可被人体合成，因此有望在此基础上开发出促进人体自身对抗黑色素瘤的新疗法。相关论文发表在Nature Medicine杂志上。
黑色素瘤是一种恶性皮肤癌，患者的死亡率较高。美国哈佛大学医学院等机构的研究人员对一些黑色素瘤患者的组织样本进行检验时发现，与正常水平相比，患者体内代号为白细胞介素－9的蛋白质含量要低很多，甚至缺失。
研究人员又通过动物实验探索了这种蛋白质对黑色素瘤的效果，结果发现，如果给实验鼠注射对白细胞介素－9有抑制作用的物质，它们所患的黑色素瘤就会迅速生长，与体内含这种蛋白质较少的人类患者的情况类似。
但是如果给实验鼠注射一些能促进它们体内白细胞介素－9含量上升的物质，则它们所患黑色素瘤的生长速度会下降。这表明，白细胞介素－9这种蛋白质具有抑制黑色素瘤的功效。
白细胞介素－9在人和实验鼠的体内都可以自我合成，过去知道它是一种可以调动免疫系统的信号分子。研究人员建议今后在对黑色素瘤患者治疗时，可以想办法促进人体合成更多的白细胞介素－9，调动患者免疫系统自身的力量来抑制肿瘤的生长。（生物谷Bioon.com）
doi:10.1038/nm.2856
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Robust tumor immunity to melanoma mediated by interleukin-9–producing T cells
hul Purwar,1 Christoph Schlapbach,1 Sheng Xiao,2 Hong Soon Kang,3 Wassim Elyaman,2 Xiaodong Jiang,1 Anton M Jetten,3 Samia J Khoury,2 Robert C Fuhlbrigge,1 Vijay K Kuchroo,2 Rachael A Clark1 & Thomas S Kupper1
Interleukin-9 (IL-9) is a T cell cytokine that acts through a γC-family receptor on target cells and is associated with inflammation and allergy. We determined that T cells from mice deficient in the T helper type 17 (TH17) pathway genes encoding retinoid-related orphan receptor γ (ROR-γ) and IL-23 receptor (IL-23R) produced abundant IL-9, and we found substantial growth inhibition of B16F10 melanoma in these mice. IL-9–blocking antibodies reversed this tumor growth inhibition and enhanced tumor growth in wild-type (WT) mice. Il9r?/? mice showed accelerated tumor growth, and administration of recombinant IL-9 (rIL-9) to tumor-bearing WT and Rag1?/? mice inhibited melanoma as well as lung carcinoma growth. Adoptive transfer of tumor-antigen–specific TH9 cells into both WT and Rag1?/? mice suppressed melanoma growth; this effect was abrogated by treatment with neutralizing antibodies to IL-9. Exogenous rIL-9 inhibited tumor growth in Rag1?/? mice but not in mast-cell–deficient mice, suggesting that the targets of IL-9 in this setting include mast cells but not T or B cells. In addition, we found higher numbers of TH9 cells in normal human skin and blood compared to metastatic lesions of subjects with progressive stage IV melanoma. These results suggest a role for IL-9 in tumor immunity and offer insight into potential therapeutic strategies.
