High Level of Memory Killer Cells Correlates With Better Melanoma Survival Rate
Source: Pharmacy Time, June 2023
Memory killer cells have been shown to respond to immunotherapy, which is normally administered as a complement to other cancer treatments.
Investigators from the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden and the University of Copenhagen in Denmark have identified how immune T cells, called tissue-resident memory cells, are formed. They found that high levels of the memory killer cells in cancer tissue may correlate with a better survival rate for individuals with melanoma.
According to the researchers, the tissue-resident memory cells are formed locally in the skin, as well as other tissues, protecting against infections that the cells have previously encountered. Some of the cells express proteins that enable them to kill infected cells, calling them memory killer cells.