SOUTHAMPTON scientists have made a major breakthrough in the fight against cancer.

Researchers at the University of Southampton have discovered new ways of stimulating the body's immune system to fight back against cancerous cells and pave the way for more effective treatments.

The team found the precise shape of an antibody makes a big difference to how the immune system reacts, and a particular antibody, called IgG2B, is more effective than others.

An antibody is a Y-shaped protein used by the immune system to identify and neutralise outside threats to the body like viruses and bacteria.

Dr Ann White, who led the study, said: “We know that the immune system provides a natural protection against cancer, which can only grow by finding a way around our defences. Antibody treatments are now able to correct this problem for many types of cancer, but we still need them to work better.

“It is early days, but this important discovery could enable us to treat more cancers effectively.”

And the scientists have been able to engineer antibodies to take on a specific shape that makes them much stronger.

The next step is to use the antibodies in trials on cancer patients and work out ways to use them most effectively.

Daily Echo:

Specific antibodies will also be examined more closely by being crystallised and x-rayed to find out more about why the shape and structure matter so much.

Professor Nic Jones, Cancer Research UK's chief scientist, added: “This research has zeroed in on how we can make immunotherapy treatments more effective against cancer. Energising the immune cells in our body and getting them to treat cancer cells as a threat gives us a better shot at beating cancer. Immunotherapy is part of the future of cancer treatment and it's important that we use our best immunotherapy weapons to fight the disease.”

The study, which will be published in medical journal Cancer Cell, is part of a wider programme into cancer immunotherapy as the latest cancer treatments are designed around ways to improve the immune system.

As reported by the Daily Echo the university is raising £20m to build a dedicated cancer immunology research centre to open in 2016.