Larry Dooling News Today

Macrophages, a type of white blood cell, immediately engulf and destroy invaders such as bacteria, viruses, and even implants to remove them from the body.

The new approach, described in the journal Nature Biomedical Engineering, not only eliminates cancerous cells, but teaches the immune system to recognise and kill them in the future.

By silencing the molecular pathway that prevents macrophages from attacking our own cells, Penn Engineers have manipulated these white blood cells to eliminate solid tumors.