Immunology—the branch of medicine concerned with immunity and the immune system—and cancer research have united to develop a cancer treatment in which doctors train the body’s immune system cells to isolate cancer cells from healthy ones. The aggressive immune cells target the cancer cells without harming surrounding healthy cells. And then, these immune system agents kill the cancer, like Top Gun flying an F-18 Super Hornet, locking on enemy targets, and blasting their aircraft from the sky.
Cytotoxic T cells are just 10 microns in length (approximately one-tenth the width of a human hair!) but pack a wallop on formerly formidable cancer cells that plague healthy bodies.
For those of us who’ve been affected by cancer in one or many ways, cancer research and development of cutting-edge treatments such as the Killer Cytotoxic T cells are exciting advancements in the fight to conquer cancer.