Discovery of new white blood cell reveals target for better vaccine design (mouse, access)

[Brian.Pearson]

"These are the cells we need to be targeting for anti-cancer vaccines," said Dr Muzlifah Haniffa, a Wellcome Trust Intermediate Fellow and Senior Clinical Lecturer at Newcastle University. "Our discovery offers an accessible, easily targetable system which makes the most of the natural ability of the cell."

The researchers also showed for the first time that dendritic cell subsets are conserved between species and have in effect created a map, facilitating the translation of mouse studies to the human immune system.

"The cross-species map is in effect a Rosetta stone that deciphers the language of mouse into human", explains Matthew Collin, Professor of Haematology from Newcastle University.