A potentially important recent discovery made by Leukaemia Busters scientists is that the patients own immune system can act in concert with the immunotoxins developed by our scientists and significantly increase the efficiency with which leukaemia cells are killed.
A particular type of immunity possessed by all of us is called innate immunity and involves a type of normal white blood cell called a natural killer cell. Leukaemia Busters scientists are now investigating the basis for this co-operativity between the two with the intention of developing this approach as a new and improved treatment for the future.
Antibodies can kill their target leukaemia or lymphoma cells in one of four different ways as shown in this cartoon diagram. Type 2 and 4 killing co-operate together to achieve much more efficient leukaemia cell killing, a discovery that was made by our scientists working in the Simon Flavell Leukaemia Research Laboratory some years ago.