about the episode

When our immune cells encounter and attack a tumor in our body, they can bite off a piece of the cancer cell, but that’s not always a good idea.

This is because the immune cell can then seize the antigen from the cancer cell – a molecule unique to the type of cancer in the tumor. When the immune cell subsequently expresses this antigen, it appears as if the cell itself belongs in the tumor. As a result, fellow immune cells consider it the enemy. end of the immune cell.

What can also happen is that this ensures that the tumor cell is not recognized as a tumor cell without the antigen, making it possible for this tumor cell to remain in the body without any concern. In addition, immune cells carrying such an antigen also appear to become slower. So all the bad news.

Although this process does not always happen, it is good to know as much information about it as possible. In immune cell therapy, the body’s immune cells are enhanced outside the body and then put back in. Perhaps these cells can also be manipulated in a way that this cannot happen.

Read more: T cells that inadvertently nibble tumors help cancer evade the immune response.