Stress Can Suppress Lymphoma Treatment

Dr. Stephen Mattarollo, a University of Queensland Diamantina Institute researcher has said that research has shown that lymphoma progressed more rapidly in mice when their stress pathways were activated to behave in the way that they would if they had chronic stress. After this they used immunotherapies and noted that the mice with activated stress pathways were not able to respond as effectively as the mice whose stress pathways were not activated. Mattarollo said that, “This is because the stress led to poor function against the cancer by T-cells, which are very important in the immune system's control and surveillance of tumors and are a major target in many immunotherapy treatments."