T cells burn out just a few hours after encountering cancer tumors

Enlarge / This microscopy image shows a cytotoxic T cell (blue) attacking a cancer cell (green) by releasing toxic chemicals (red).Alex Ritter, Jennifer Lippincott Schwartz, and Gillian Griffiths/National Institutes of Health

A key function of our immune system is to detect and eliminate foreign pathogens such as bacteria and viruses. Immune cells like T cells do this by distinguishing between different types of proteins within cells, which allows them to detect the presence of infection or disease.

A type of T cell called cytotoxic T cells can recognize the mutated proteins on cancer cells and should therefore be able to

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