24
Jan 2020
Immune system discovery ‘may treat all cancer’
Scientists at Cardiff University have discovered a method of killing breast, lung, prostate and other cancers in lab tests, through the harnessing of a newly-discovered part of our immune system.
Although the findings, which have bee published in Nature Immunology, have not been tested on patients, the researchers say they have “enormous potential”.
The scientists involved in the study were attempting to identify “unconventional” and until now undiscovered ways the immune system naturally attacks tumours. They found a T-cell located inside people’s blood – an immune cell which is able to scan the body to assess whether there is a threat which needs to be eliminated, and it is believed that this cell could attack a wide range of cancers.
Crucially, the cell left normal tissues untouched.
Lead researcher Professor Andrew Sewell, said “There’s a chance here to treat every patient.
“Previously nobody believed this could be possible. It raises the prospect of a one-size-fits-all” cancer treatment, a single type of T-cell that could be capable of destroying many different types of cancers across the population.”
Daniel Davis, professor of immunology at the University of Manchester said of the findings, “At the moment, this is very basic research and not close to actual medicines for patients.
“There is no question that it’s a very exciting discovery, both for advancing our basic knowledge about the immune system and for the possibility of future new medicines.”
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Posted by Karen Motley, Clinical Negligence Department, Chadwick Lawrence LLP (tonymay@chadlaw.co.uk ), medical negligence lawyers and clinical negligence solicitors in Huddersfield, Leeds, Wakefield and Halifax, West Yorkshire.
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