immune system

Author: Amér Ghali

Editors: Jennifer Baker, Andrés Rivera Ruiz, and Madeline Barron

There is much to appreciate about the way our bodies keep themselves healthy through the array of different immune cell types and their related, yet distinct, methods of protecting us from sickness. From T cells conducting orchestrated attacks on foreign pathogens to B cells producing antibodies which stave off severe illness at the outset of an infection, these cells and their diverse functions resemble a set of chess pieces in the way that they each perform unique tasks in consort with one another to achieve a common objective. However, their goal is not necessarily victory over any one opponent, but rather against all challenges to the immune system, whether external viruses such as COVID-19, or from within, as is the case with cancer.

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Author: John Charpentier

Editors: Zena Lapp, Theresa Mau, and David Mertz

t_cell_assassin — Figure 1. An encounter between a CAR-T cell and a cancer cell

The assassins have a description of their targets, who are hiding in plain sight among the non-combatants. The targets are guerillas who’ve infiltrated the neighborhood, overwhelming the local authorities and fomenting chaos. After only minutes on patrol, the assassins go on the attack, quickly identifying and eliminating the enemy without harming a single bystander.

This scenario may sound like the plot of a Hollywood blockbuster, but it’s also a good metaphor to describe the activity of engineered immune cells against cancer cells. The assassins are called CAR-T (Chimeric Antigen Receptor-T) cells, and they receive their elite training at the hands of physicians and scientists, who teach them to recognize particular molecules on the surface of tumors.

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Tag: immune system

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Training T Cell Assassins