Listen to Story In a groundbreaking study, researchers have discovered how the body's immune system naturally targets and attacks cancer cells, potentially paving the way for new and less invasive cancer treatments. The findings, published in Science Advances , reveal that natural killer cells from the immune system instinctively recognize and attack a protein called XPO1, which is known to drive cancer growth. Led by Professor Salim Khakoo from the University of Southampton, the international team of scientists found that a peptide derived from the XPO1 protein attracts natural killer cells, triggering the body's immune response against cancerous cells.
This discovery challenges the previous belief that killer cells attack cancer cells randomly. "Our findings actually show how our body's immune system recognises and attacks these cancer cells," said Professor Khakoo. "Killer cells are an emerging form of immunotherapy that shows huge promise.
They don't attack healthy tissue in the way chemotherapy and other immunotherapies do, so are safer and have less side-effects than traditional forms of cancer treatment". This breakthrough could lead to new immunotherapy treatments for various types of cancer. (Photo: Getty) The study also revealed that patients with cancer who had both active killer cells and high levels of XPO1 had significantly better survival rates.
This correlation held true for various cancers, including those with typically poor prognoses such as liver cancer. P.