The immune system has trouble recognizing cancer cells. Scientists have been trying for more than 100 years to solve these problems. They want to make the immune system attack cancer cells. Now they are much closer to their goal. The new weapons they have found to help the immune system destroy cancer cells are called cancer vaccines.
Scientists know that some kinds of proteins cause the immune system to attack cells.
One kind of cancer vaccine attaches proteins to cancer cells. Then the immune system destroys those cells. Another kind of cancer vaccine increases the number of white blood cells. Still another type of cancer vaccine attaches bacteria to cancer cells. When the immune system attacks the bacteria, it kills the cancer cells, too.