'Killer cells' hope in liver cancer war (From Daily Echo)
When news happens, text SDE and your photos or videos to 80360. Or contact us by email and phone.
Southampton scientists use 'killer cells' in war on liver cancer
11:10am Monday 15th October 2012 in News
'Killer cells' hope in liver cancer war
SCIENTISTS at Southampton University are investigation using a new weapon in the war on liver cancer – killer cells.
Known as NK cells, they are able to directly stamp out cancer in the body and stimulate other cells in the immune system.
At the moment, NK cells and the chemicals manipulating them are being used to treat a variety of different cancers, mainly cancers of the blood.
Now the British Liver Trust is backing the research they hope will help find effective treatment for a growing problem.
Andrew Langford, chief executive of the trust, said: “Unfortunately, of the big five killer diseases, deaths from liver cancer is the only one that continues to increase and the average age at which people die of a liver disease is now 59 and this gets lower each year.”
The university’s Salim Khakoo, Professor of Hepatology, and Aymen Al- Shamkhani, Professor in Immunology, will be leading the study.
