Researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have discovered that immunosuppressed patients with non-melanoma skin cancer are not missing the key cancer-fighting macrophages found in immunocompetent patients. Instead, those cells have lost the ability to communicate effectively. The researchers say this new understanding may help researchers develop new treatment approaches for these aggressive skin cancers. The study was published in Cell. Moran Amit, MD,

A highly magnified view of melanoma tumours growing in the skin. CD169+ macrophages are shown in green and yellow, forming a biological boundary wall to contain the tumours. Image courtesy Garvan Institute of Medical Research For the first time, researchers have observed macrophages attacking melanoma cells in real time and identified a subpopulation of the immune cells involved in resisting the skin cancer. The findings, published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine, rev

Nerves (in green) within a melanoma tumour. Photo by: Dr. David J. Simon Nerve fibres within melanomas can slow tumour growth, according to a study led by Weill Cornell Medicine investigators. The findings help clarify the emerging field of cancer neuroscience and may inform future therapeutic strategies. In the study, published April 29 in Neuron, the researchers used mouse models of melanoma to examine the presence and the effects of peripheral nerves that grow into tumours