A new type of immune cell which kills most cancers has been discovered by accident by British scientists

Immunotherapy may have taken a leap forward following the discovery of a new type of T-cell by a team at Cardiff University, which could potentially be used to provide a “one size fits all” treatment for many different cancers.  The belief is that the receptors on these T-cells are able to detect cancer through their interaction with MR1, a molecule that is present on the surface of all human cells.  Experiments in mice and in lab dishes, a newly identified T-cell (A-T cell) could detect a wide range of cancerous cells including lung, skin, colon, breast, prostate, leukaemia and others.

The researchers published their findings in the journal Nature Immunology, and a summary has been published in the Daily Telegraph and Newsweek.