A new therapeutic target turns the immune system against lymphoma

(© Immagine: Adobestock) - EPFL scientists have identified a key mechanism that tumor cells use to take advantage of and avoid detection from the immune system. Targeting this mechanism offers a new therapeutic strategy for cancers like Non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) is a group of cancers that originate in the lymph nodes and affect white blood cells of the immune system called B cells. In NHL, B cells grow out of control and create tumors in the lymph nodes, spleen, or other tissues. According to the American Cancer Society, about 80,000 people will be diagnosed with NHL in 2020, and 20,000 will die of it. Today, immunotherapy is one of the most promising treatment for cancer patients. Unlike radioor chemotherapies, immunotherapy aims to "switch on" the patient's own immune system to attack and eliminate the tumor.