Novel Neutrophil Immuno- Biology Empowers Anti-Tumor Immunity

Neutrophils are among the most abundant white blood cells in the immune system and serve as the first line of defense against infections, inflammation, and cancer. Onchilles’ scientific founder, Dr. Lev Becker, uncovered that human neutrophils release catalytically active neutrophil elastase (called ELANE), which selectively and potently kills cancer cells independent of their genetics and anatomical origin, mobilizes adaptive immunity, and avoids resistance mechanisms. In animal models, exploiting this innate pathway has shown to kill cancer cells at the initial tumor site and also resulting in boosted adaptive immunity by T cells against distant metastases. Some of these discoveries were published in the journal Cell in 2021.