New mechanism activates the immune system against tumor cells

The body's defences detect and eliminate not only pathogens but also tumour cells. Natural killer cells (NK-Cells) are specifically activated by chemical messengers, the Cytokines, to seek and destroy tumour cells. Veronika Sexl and her team from the Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology at the Vetmeduni Vienna study the fundamentals of tumour surveillance by the immune system in animal models.