Reclaiming the immune system's assault on tumors

13. One of the major obstacles with treating cancer is that tumors can conscript the body's immune cells and make them work for them. Researchers at EPFL have now found a way to reclaim the corrupted immune cells, turn them into signals for the immune system to attack the tumor, and even prevent metastasis. Macrophages are cells of the immune system that protect the host from invading pathogens. But in cancer, macrophages can be "hijacked" by tumors, and made to support their malignant growth and spread. This is a drawback for a major cancer treatment, immunotherapy, which turns the body's immune system against the tumor. EPFL scientists, working with colleagues at the Roche Innovation Centers in Munich and Basel, have now identified a molecular "switch" that can convert the "hijacked" macrophages into cells that can stimulate the immune system to fight the growth and spread of cancer.