Scientists discover cancer cells shoot 'tiny weapons' to ward off incoming immune cells

Cancer cells.
(Image credit: iStock)

Scientists may have figured out just what makes cancer cells so strong.

Immune cells may not even have a chance of attacking a tumor before they're warded off, a University of Pennsylvania study published Wednesday in Nature reveals. That's because cancer cells shoot off "tiny weapons" that attack immune cells before they can get close enough to fight, Stat explained Thursday.

Scientists already knew tumor cells hold a protein that inhibits immune cells' disease-fighting abilities, Stat says. But this new discovery shows cancer attacks opposing cells from afar with weapons called exomes. Because exomes can spread throughout the body and hunt immune cells down, this study could explain why cancer patients have weak immune systems — and help identify patients who will respond best to certain cancer-fighting therapies. Read more at Stat.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us
Kathryn Krawczyk

Kathryn is a graduate of Syracuse University, with degrees in magazine journalism and information technology, along with hours to earn another degree after working at SU's independent paper The Daily Orange. She's currently recovering from a horse addiction while living in New York City, and likes to share her extremely dry sense of humor on Twitter.