Scientists at Trinity College Dublin, supported by Breakthrough Cancer Research, have discovered new approaches to tackling key challenges presented by obesity in the treatment of oesophageal adenocarcinomas (OAC) through the redirection of natural killer (NK) cells.

Oesophagogastric adenocarcinomas, notorious for their low survival rates, particularly among patients with obesity, have posed a formidable challenge in oncology.

The research, published in Nature Scientific Reports, shows how cancer-fighting NK cells are profoundly and negatively impacted by excessive abdominal fat but can be redirected to the tumour by a new drug called E6130.

Led by Dr Melissa Conroy, with Dr Eimear Mylod and Prof Joanne Lysaght, the study found that abdominal fat significantly reduces NK cell presence in tumours due to a molecule called Fractalkine that draws NK cells into fat deposits.

By utilising a drug E6130, they successfully redirected NK cells from fat deposits towards the tumour, marking a significant breakthrough in cancer immunotherapy.

The team also discovered that, on reaching the tumour site, NK cells were suppressed in patients with obesity, hindering their anti-cancer activity. They are currently exploring a number of strategies to counteract this suppression within the tumour microenvironment.