Key role discovered in battle between blood cancer and immune system

In mouse models, researchers at Ottawa Hospital and the University of Ottawa have found that this process, known as cytoplasmic phagocytosis, plays a key role in the battle between the immune system and blood cancer cells

The findings, published in the journal Science Advances, are titled "When Killers Become Thieves: Trogocytosed-Containing PD-1 Suppresses NK Cells in Cancer

"Cytoplasmic phagocytosis regulates immune responses, and the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear," the researchers wrote

The team, led by Dr.

"NK cells are special cancer killers, and we previously found that PD-1 prevents them from working properly," said Ardolino, a senior scientist at Ottawa Hospital and an assistant professor at the University of Ottawa

The researchers added: "Our findings, in addition to revealing a previously undiscovered mechanism for the presence of PD-1 on NK cells and cytotoxic T cells, also shed light on the immune response to membrane metastases that occur when immune cells come into contact with tumor cells.