LONDON

Researchers in Ireland have discovered a way to reactivate the body’s immune system to help tackle the spread of bowel cancer, in what has been described as a major breakthrough in understanding the disease.

The study, led by scientists at the University of Galway, explored how colorectal cancer affects the immune system and how this process can be reversed to improve treatment outcomes.

Immunotherapy -- which uses the body’s own defenses to find and destroy cancer cells -- has transformed treatments for conditions such as melanoma and lung cancer. However, its benefits have so far been limited in bowel cancer.

The Galway team first identified how the disease can switch off the immune system, before finding a way to reactivate it. They discovered that structural cells that support tumor growth can hijack the immune system’s tumor-fighting cells, effectively putting the brake on the body’s natural defenses.

After pinpointing an enzyme responsible for this process, the researchers used drugs called sialidases to reactivate the tumor-fighting cells. This, in turn, reduced tumor size and helped stop the cancer from spreading.

Bowel cancer is the world’s second leading cause of cancer-related deaths and affects more than 2,500 people in Ireland each year. Globally, doctors have also seen a rise in cases among younger people, with early-onset diagnoses nearly doubling since 1990.