The tug of war between breast cancer and the immune system
Breast cancers can often protect themselves from the body’s natural defense mechanism – the immune system – which can make them difficult to treat. Dr Josie Ursini-Siegel and her team found that a specific protein in breast cancer can suppress the functions of the immune system to support the growth and survival of tumour cells. The team found that blocking this protein can increase cancer cells’ sensitivity to immunotherapy, which could eventually lead to new treatment strategies.
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