Reprogramming the immune system

Great strides are being made in the development of treatments that trick the body’s immune system into fighting cancer. At Bern University Hospital, scientists are hoping to use this procedure in the fight against leukemia.

A young American girl recently made history by becoming the first child leukemia patient to be successfully treated using a form of the HIV virus that causes Aids to reprogramme the immune system. The treatment being developed in Bern will also encourage the immune system to attack cancer cells, but without also attacking healthy cells and organs. (SRF/swissinfo.ch)