"'Chronic' is the key word. We have long suspected that IDO is a component of certain kinds of inflammation that create suppression," said Mellor.
He speculated that IDO's "firefighter" role probably resulted from the body's need to control inflammation in areas such as the gastrointestinal tract. The GI tract is constantly bombarded by food and microbes which could lead to debilitating and deadly inflammation.
The new research, according to Mellor, showed that IDO has a more important and earlier role than we thought in tumor formation.
"IDO favors the tumor: The immune system basically sits back and watches the tumor grow," said Mellor.
The study is published online in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Source-ANI
RAS/SK