Oncological diseases were responsible in 2012 for the death of 102,762 people in our country. A figure only surpassed by that associated with cardiovascular diseases and which is mainly explained by the inability of the human immune system to eradicate tumors. In fact, the immune system is in many situations unable not only to fight against tumor cells, but even to recognize them. However, as a new study led by researchers at the Dutch Cancer Institute (NKI) in Amsterdam shows, there is a possible solution for our immune cells to identify tumors as they are: using a 'borrowed' immune system.

Specifically, the study, published in the journal "Science" shows that the addition of DNA extracted from tumor cells to cells of the immune system of a healthy 'donor' causes an immune response to cancer. Consequently, one only has to pick up the components of this response and 'transfer' it to the cells of the cancer patient's immune system, which in this way acquire the ability to, now, recognize the tumor cells and fight them.