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A new study has shown that the destruction of cancer cells is not the only way to fight the disease. The immune system can simply numb the cells indefinitely, which prevents the disease from evolving.
A recent study, conducted by a team of Australian researchers, revealed that the immune system can keep cancer cells dormant. Scientists hope the latest discovery will offer new avenues for research on immunotherapy techniques that will prevent tumor growth for an indeterminate period.
Most cancer research is exploring ways to destroy these cells. However, according to the most recent approach, scientists have taken a different path from that of destruction.
In some cases, malignant cancer cells may remain blocked for long periods of time without spreading or causing disease-related symptoms. . This process is called Immune Balance Against Cancer and, although we know that it is mediated by the body's immune system, scientists do not understand exactly how it works.
"We can not understand the mechanisms responsible for keeping the tumors under control and in this state of dormancy," Jason Waithman of the University of Western Australia and the University of Western Australia. one of the authors of the study published in Nature
"We only knew that there was this sort of" black box "of cancer control and that if we were to better understand this process we could exploit in a larger number of patients and save many lives, "continued the expert quoted in the New Atlas
was focused on a type of immune cell, called resident T-cell memory tissue ( TRM or tissue-resident memory) TRM cells have been identified for about 20 years and are functionally different from other types of immune cells.
In order to 39; study their effect on the equi free immune cancer, scientists have used a new imaging technique to observe the movement.
"Using a special microscope, we were able to observe the displacement of T cells in the skin of mice, search for melanoma cells and control the growth of these cells", did he declare. Simone Park Researcher at the University of Melbourne, Australia
The results of the experiment are remarkable. Tumor growth was initiated after removal of TRM cells . The scientists concluded that these cells play a key role in suppressing cancer progression and maintaining immune balance against the disease.
Further studies will be needed to understand exactly how these TRM cells keep the cancer dormant. but scientists are confident that the results will be transferable to humans.
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