Tumors 'immune signature' studied

U.S. scientists have created a method of identifying how cancer evades the body's immune system -- a finding that might lead to specific cancer treatments.

University of Southern California researchers said their discovery -- demonstrated in human breast and colorectal cancers -- indicates a technique for determining a tumor's "immune signature" that might be useful for diagnosing and treating specific cancers.

The scientists developed a method of determining which genes have been altered in a tumor to allow it to evade the body's natural defenses. In time, the researchers said they believe such analysis could become a standard practice in cancer diagnosis and treatment.

"The implication is that once you know the mechanism by which tumors evade the immune system, you can match that tumor to available therapies," said senior author Dr. Alan Epstein, a professor of pathology at the University of Southern California's Keck School of Medicine in Los Angeles. "First, we find the genetic changes that allow a tumor to defeat the immune system, then we can apply therapies that compensate for these genetic alterations."