Professor Chris Parish (left) and Dr Ben Quah. Photo by Karen Edwards.
The fight against cancer has received a significant boost with a medical breakthrough by researchers at The Australian National University. Professor Chris Parish and Dr Ben Quah from The John Curtin School of Medical Research have discovered that immune cells responding to a foreign substance, or pathogen, are able to rapidly transfer their ability to recognise the invader to other immune cells. Professor Parish said that harnessing this process may lead to new ways to treat cancerous tumours as well as strengthen immunity in patients with weaker immune systems. 'Our discovery revolutionises our understanding of how the immune system works,' said Professor Parish. ?It indicates that there is much more communication and sharing of information between cells of the immune system than was previously thought. ?These findings can potentially be harnessed to expand immunity against pathogens and cancer. In the case of cancer the number of immune cells in a patient that can recognise and eliminate the cancer could be dramatically expanded.
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