How cells with damaged DNA alert the immune system

July 6, 2005 | Source: KurzweilAI

University of California, Berkeley researchers have found that damage to a cell’s DNA sets off a chain reaction that leads to the increased expression of a marker recognized by the body’s immune system, allowing it to differentiate cells that are cancerous from those that are healthy and attack them.

Cells with damaged DNA can also involve other cells in the fight, triggering a mechanism that signals other cells — specifically NK cells – to attack.