AI Summary
The article discusses how understanding the immune cell surface receptor PD-1 could lead to improved treatments for cancer and autoimmune diseases. Restricting PD-1 can enhance anticancer effects, while stimulating it can potentially help with autoimmune diseases by blocking an overactive immune response. This research opens new strategies for treatment in both fields.
Insights into the workings of an immune cell surface receptor, called PD-1, reveal how treatments that restrict its action can potentially be strengthened to improve their anticancer effect, a new study shows. The same findings also support experimental treatment strategies for autoimmune diseases, in which the immune system attacks the body, because stimulating the action of PD-1, as opposed to restricting it, can potentially block an overactive immune response.