This week Bobbi Conner talks with Dr. Besim Ogretmen about research exploring new cancer therapies. Dr. Ogretmen is the Assistant Vice President of Research and the Associate Director of Basic Science at Hollings Cancer Center at MUSC.
TRANSCRIPT:
Conner: I'm Bobbi Conner for South Carolina Public Radio with Health Focus here at the radio studio for the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. Researchers in South Carolina have found that a protein tied to Alzheimer's disease may hold new clues for fighting cancer. Doctor Besim Ogretmen is here to talk about the details of this research. Doctor Ogretmen is the Assistant Vice President of Research and the Associate Director of Basic Science at Hollings Cancer Center at MUSC. Doctor Ogretmen, I understand that you and your research team discovered an unexpected association between Alzheimer's disease and cancer. Tell us about this connection.
Dr. Ogretmen: As you know, aging increases the incidences of both cancer and Alzheimer's disease. They have very little in common in clinic, however, as you mentioned, we discovered an unexpected link connecting the two. For years, population studies hinted at something puzzling. People with Alzheimer's disease seemed less likely to develop cancer. So, we became interested in digging deeper into this biology, linking these two seemingly separate conditions.
Conner: What were the early steps then to launch this research?
Dr. Ogretmen: So, the first step, what we did, was to confirm this connection. So, with our team of epidemiologists at the Hollings Cancer Center, we analyzed about five years of nationally representative surveys and which yielded striking results. What we found is that adults over 59 years old with Alzheimer's disease were about 20 times less likely to develop cancer than those without the disease.
Conner: And your research continued, and ultimately revealed how a protein tied to Alzheimer's also works to strengthen the immune system. Tell us about that.
Dr. Ogretmen: Yes, we are very excited about those findings. So, through a series of experiments, we identified the culprit, the protein called amyloid beta, known for damaging neurons in Alzheimer's disease. What we found is that the same amyloid peptide that is harmful for neurons in Alzheimer's disease is actually beneficial for our immune system. So, it basically rejuvenates our immune cells, making them more protective against tumors.
Conner: How might this discovery be used in cancer research, particularly developing innovative treatment for cancer that might recharge the immune system?
Dr. Ogretmen: So, what we are learning from this Alzheimer's disease and the immune system is that we can actually use the information from this study to really improve our treatments for cancers. And so, we are hoping that this can actually really revolutionize the immunotherapy alternatives for patients with cancer treatment.
Conner: And Doctor Ogretmen, this sounds like it's early days for this research. So where might this research be headed next, and how long might this development take?
Dr. Ogretmen: We are hoping that what we learned from this study actually will help us improve treatments of patients with advanced cancers. We have invested a lot of funds to improve our immunotherapy and cellular therapy trials, so we are hoping that our results can actually be implemented in clinic within maybe a couple of years.
Conner: Doctor Ogretmen, thanks for talking with us about this research.
Dr. Ogretmen: You're welcome. Thank you.
Conner: From the radio studio for the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, I’m Bobbi Conner for South Carolina Public Radio.
Health Focus transcripts are intended to accurately represent the original audio version of the program; however, some discrepancies or inaccuracies may exist. The audio format serves as the official record of Health Focus programming.
