Immune System Killer Mechanism Identified

traveller.ct writes "Researchers from Melbourne and London have identified the mechanism by which the immune system destroys malignant cells. The notion of killer cells puncturing a malignant cell to inject toxic enzymes has been understood for over a century, but now, using the Australian Synchrotron, researchers have identified the protein which is responsible for forming a pore in the malignant cell: perforin. Perforin resembles the cellular weaponry employed by bacteria such as anthrax, but may have been appropriated by our immune system in our evolutionary past to fight against them. The researchers are now investigating ways to boost perforin for more effective cancer protection and therapy for acute diseases such as cerebral malaria."

Why am I reminded of the Wizard of Earthsea?

[mellon]

When you tweak one thing, something else tends to go out of balance. Still, this is pretty cool, whether it leads directly or indirectly to new treatments.

investigating ways to boost perforin?

[hAckz0r]

Don't you think that the problem is "targeting" of the right cells rather than the amount of perforin? I don't know about you, but an over abundance of perforin running around randomly in my blood stream does NOT sound like a GOOD thing. It would only take a little to kill you, so the true matter is knowing when and where to apply what we already have. The triggering mechanism is what we should be studying.

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Re:Why am I reminded of the Wizard of Earthsea?

[gilleain]

When you tweak one thing, something else tends to go out of balance. Still, this is pretty cool, whether it leads directly or indirectly to new treatments.

The best example of this, I think, is the theory of balance between cancer and auto-immune disease. The idea is based on the fact that cancer involves cells growing out of control, while auto-immune disease (like arthritis) involves the immune system attacking the self. So a more active immune system will lead to arthritis, and a less active one to cancer - and you can't just suppress or boost immune cell-killer response without consequence

Re:Doh

[durrr]

You're wrong, relaxin increases the motility of sperm: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/relaxin

Re:Doh

[nbauman]

And the toxic* enzyme which causes the cancer cell to die: Croakin.

Good guess.

You may be thinking of reaper. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/10/101020131710.htm [sciencedaily.com]

Or caspase http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caspase [wikipedia.org] which turns the cell into Casper the Friendly Ghost.

Or you could give it a Smac http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071112133819.htm [sciencedaily.com]

You can't make this stuff up.