Game-changer' protein could help kill off cancer

Researchers in the UK have discovered a protein that they say "turbo-charges" the immune system, allowing it to fight off any kind of cancer or...

so that it can fight off any cancer or virus has been discovered by British scientists.

It has been described as a "game-changer" by researchers at Imperial College London, who are now developing a gene therapy based on the protein and hope to begin human trials in three years.

"This is exciting because we have found a completely different way to use the immune system to fight cancer," said Professor Philip Ashton-Rickardt, from the Section of Immunobiology in the Department of Medicine at Imperial.

"It could be a game-changer for treating a number of different cancers and viruses. It looks and acts like no other protein."

Normally, when the immune system detects cancer it goes into overdrive trying to fight the disease, but quickly runs out of steam.

The new protein, named "lymphocyte expansion molecule," or LEM, promotes the spread of cancer-killing "T cells" by generating large amounts of energy.

The team made the discovery while screening mice with genetic mutations.

Dr Mike Turner, head of infection and immunobiology at The Wellcome Trust, said: "The discovery of a protein that could boost the immune response to not only cancer, but also to viruses, is a fascinating one.

"Further investigation in animal models is needed before human trials can commence, but there is potential for a new type of treatment that capitalises on the immune system's innate ability to detect and kill abnormal cells."

The research was published in the journal Science.