Newly found immune cells essential for battling cancer.

 Australian researchers are part of an international research team that has identified a novel class of immune cells that they hope will play a critical role in the body's ability to combat serious infections and cancer.

Their research, which was published on Thursday in the journal Nature, may help to understand why immunotherapy sometimes fails to treat cancer and some viruses, including the hepatitis and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

Professor Axel Kallies, a molecular immunologist at the University of Melbourne in Australia, said those life-threatening conditions can result in "immune exhaustion" that affects a group of immune cells called cytotoxic T cells.

His team has previously demonstrated that certain T cell subtypes may endure contact with the pathogens.

The resilient T cell population that supports the body's long-term reactions has been identified in the most recent study, which was carried out in partnership with researchers from Germany's Technical University of Munich (TUM).

According to the study's primary author, Dr. Lorenz Kretschmer from TUM, "these cells are like the fountain of life for T cell immunity, allowing fatigued T cells to self-renew and remain effective."

The name "stem-like fatigued T cells" has been proposed by the researchers for this novel subpopulation of cells.

The crucial chemical that promotes the growth of these cells has also been discovered by the scientists.

We identified a particular transcription factor, termed Myb, that regulates the growth and operation of these cells, according to Kallies.

Without this element, he claimed, "this population of cells does not form, and the T cells battling the persistent infection cannot be sustained." In essence, immunotherapy fails without this transcription factor.

In order to develop more effective medicines, the researchers are currently figuring out how to use these robust cells.

According to Kallies, "immunotherapy currently only works for specific people with certain tumours."

"We are optimistic that our understanding of the mechanisms underlying T cell activation can contribute to the improvement of outcomes in the setting of viral infections and malignancies."