ROCHESTER, NEW YORK — Mobilizing a patient’s immune system to eradicate cancer is often hit or miss, but a group of researchers have discovered that light and optics might help. <br /> <br />Killer T-cells act as the body’s defense, but are often evaded by cancer cells and kept out of areas surrounding aggressive tumors. <br /> <br />To help them track down their target, scientists from the University of Rochester Medical Center combined the T-cells with a light-sensitive algae molecule. A press release from the center reports that when injected into mice and activated with light, the T-cells were better able to kill the cancer cells. <br /> <br />In a separate project, mice with melanoma on their ears were implanted with an LED chip and made to wear a small battery pack. <br /> <br />The battery signalled the LED to shine light on the tumor, calling killer T-cells to the scene and boosting their cancer-killing function. <br /> <br />The non-toxic treatment is promising, but the researchers are still determining how effective it is on tumors deep in the body.
