The total number of human cells is between 40 and 60 trillion. Among so many cells, some normal cells become cancer cells after mutation of proto-oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes caused by carcinogenic factors such as physics, chemistry and viruses. .
A normal person will produce about 6,000 cancer cells for various reasons every day, and the body's immune cells are responsible for eliminating cancer cells.
The American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB) released a microscopic blockbuster, using top imaging tools and technologies, to demonstrate the entire process of killing cancer cells by an immune cell T cell in the human body from an immune perspective.
1
The "Immunity War" in the Human Body
Each T cell is about one-tenth the diameter of a human hair, and they patrol the body constantly, finding and killing cancer cells or cells infected with dangerous viruses.
T cells in the body are looking for germs and killing them
T cells on patrol
When T cells find cancer cells, they attach to cancer cells by secreting toxins to detect and distinguish between normal cells and cancer cells.
T cells (green) detect cancer cells
Once identified, the T cells attach to the cancer cells, break down the outer walls of the cancer cells, and introduce toxic proteins to their surfaces.
T cells (red) engulfing cancer cells
Once the cytotoxin enters, the cancer cells gradually weaken and die. And T cells continue to patrol the body, looking for their next target.
T cells in the human body that fight cancer cells (red)
In fact, in addition to the T cells mentioned above, there are many immune cells in the body that are protecting us. They fight with cancer cells to fight against the virus and defend the body as the ultimate goal.
I would like to share with you a few animations of immune cells "killing the enemy" to see how the handsome ones fight heroically:
1. Phagocytes
Phagocytes play an important role in innate immunity and are important immune cells to clear pathogenic microorganisms.
Phagocytosis of macrophages
Phagocytes include two broad categories, namely neutrophils (small phagocytes) and monocytes/macrophages (macro phagocytes). Two types of phagocytes can respond extremely rapidly to invading microorganisms, especially macrophages, which are the main effector cells involved in late innate immune responses.
2. NK cells
NK cells are the third type of lymphocytes in which T and B cells are juxtaposed. Different from T and B cells, NK cells are a type of lymphocytes that have direct killing effect on target cells. Target cells include tumor cells, virus or bacterial infected cells and the body. certain normal cells.
Natural killer cells took the lead in sounding the battle horn, attacking with the head of the cancer cell as a breakthrough, and the cancer cell was stubbornly resisting.
The NK cell head unit successfully broke through, the large unit quickly arrived on the battlefield, and the cancer cells disintegrated instantly.
Cancer cells lose their fighting power and are destroyed by NK cells
NK cells have anti-tumor, anti-infection, immune regulation and other functions, and play an important role in the early anti-infection immunity of viruses and parasites.
3. B cells
B cells are the cells that produce antibodies (immunoglobulins) in the body. There are also different subgroups of B cells, which mainly perform humoral immunity and also have the function of antigen presentation.
cells produce antibodies
Under normal circumstances, the body's immune system can efficiently identify and destroy cancer cells to ensure our health.
These natural "health guards" of the human body will never spare every escaped cancer cell.
Even if the cancer cells have successfully escaped into the bloodstream, the immune cells will launch a violent attack on the cancer cells. Immune cells can rush through the blood vessel wall to the "battlefield", marching and encircling inflammatory and traumatized tissues.
Powerful immune cells not only protect our bodies, but also help patients.
With the continuous development of human life science, scientists have revealed the mechanism by which immune cells kill cancer cells, and confirmed that immune cells have unparalleled innate advantages in fighting cancer. According to this feature, human scientists have explored some Column is used to fight cancer immunotherapy by replenishing T cells, NK cells, and even using "big killers" such as CAR-T and CAR-NK.