Revolutionizing Oncology - A New Era in Cancer Treatment Unfolds
The Rise of cGAS-STING in Cancer Therapy
In 2023, almost 3 million people died in the United States and of that number, an estimated 609,820 of them died as a result of cancer.
As quality of life improved in the 20th century, and people began living longer lives, cancer emerged as one of the top two leading causes of death in the United States, and has continued its grim reign for over 75 years.
Modern treatments of cancer include surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. Such treatments are essentially hack and burn attempts to kill these hostile cells which, once loyal servants of the body, seek to replicate their own mutations at any cost, even at the expense of their host.
The cGAS-STING Pathway
The cGAS-STING Signaling Pathway is responsible for the detection of abnormal DNA in the cytoplasm of a cell and the subsequent initiation of the immune response, including the production of interferons, inflammatory factors, and downstream chemokines.
This pathway regulates several steps of the cancer-immune cycle, such as inducing immune cell infiltration and mediating host immune responses. Additionally, the cGAS-STING pathway can activate immune cell-mediated tumor clearance, leading to the elimination of cancerous cells.
Basically, the immune system uses pattern recognition to sense infection and to trigger an immune response against pathogens and abnormal cells.
But as we age, the immune system's ability to recognize and eliminate cancerous cells declines. The current research speculates that this can be due to the accumulation of genetic mutations in cells over time, which can make cancer cells less visible to the immune system.
Additionally, the aging immune system may become less efficient in mounting an effective response against cancer cells. And if allowed to progress to a tumor, such a tumor can create an immunosuppressive environment, allowing cancer cells to evade immune detection and attack altogether.
New Treatments
Companies like the Japanese startup, TKG Therapeutics Inc, the British biotech company GlaxoSmithKline, and UC Berkeley spinout company Audro Biotech Inc, are all working to make this a viable treatment option for the hundreds of thousands of people who suffer from cancer each year.
Specifically, STING (Stimulator of Interferon Genes) agonists have shown promise in enhancing the antitumor response. They can be utilized to improve the infiltration of immune cells into the tumor microenvironment and increase the production of immune signaling factors.
STING agonists have also been found to activate the innate immune response and combat tumor-induced immunosuppression.
Essentially, with targeted delivery of Interferon Genes into known cancerous areas, physicians could stimulate the natural immune system of the body to recognize cancerous cells for what they are, and induce a response.
Conclusion
For me, STING represents the future of cancer treatment. It’s the difference between firebombing an entire city, killing its population, in the hope of eliminating a small band of enemy soldiers, vs a precision drone strike on the exact house where you know they are hiding.
While not without drawbacks, STING therapy has the potential to revolutionize oncology, and by spreading awareness, we can all do our part to help solve a problem that has remained as stubborn and persistent as it was a century ago.