What to Know About the Future of Cancer Treatment

By StatePoint Media

For many patients, initial cancer treatments are not enough, and residual cancer cells that survive these treatments can cause relapse. But new research is seeking to harness the immune system to target residual disease, thereby helping patients avoid relapses and live longer

“Using a novel mechanism of action that directly targets the cancerous cells, we are hoping to enhance the ability of NK cells – that is natural killer cells – to eliminate residual disease,” says RJ Tesi, MD, CEO of INmune Bio Inc., (NASDAQ: INMB), a clinical stage immuno-oncology company. “NK cells are part of our innate immune system and are essential for survival. In addition to directly killing infected cells and cancer cells, NK cells facilitate crosstalk between the innate and adaptive immune system.

As Dr. Tesi goes on to explain, NK cells play a critical role in killing cancer cells that remain after such treatments as surgery,