Raising hopes for a cancer vaccine for different types of cancers, researchers have found that injecting minute amounts of two immune-stimulating agents directly into solid tumours in mice can eliminate all traces of cancer in the animals. The approach works for many different types of cancers, including those that arise spontaneously, said the study published in the journal Science Translational Medicine. “This approach bypasses the need to identify tumour-specific immune targets and doesn’t require wholesale activation of the immune system or customisation of a patient’s immune cells,” Levy said. Immune cells like T cells recognise the abnormal proteins often present on cancer cells and infiltrate to attack the tumour. The other, an antibody that binds to OX40, activates the T cells to lead the charge against the cancer cells.

Source: Hindustan Times February 01, 2018 06:00 UTC