Scientists capture astonishing video of 'killer' T-Cells fighting cancer cells inside the body

A dramatic video of immune system 'hit men' hunting down and destroying cancer cells has been released by scientists. Researchers used state-of-the-art imaging techniques to capture the ruthless 'killer' T-cells at work.

Killer, or cytotoxic, T-cells are white blood cells with the specialised role of destroying tumour cells or cells that have been invaded by viruses.

Professor Gillian Griffiths, director of Cambridge University's Institute for Medical Research, who led the study, said: 'Inside all of us lurks an army of serial killers whose primary function is to kill again and again. 'These cells patrol our bodies, identifying and destroying virally infected and cancer cells and they do so with remarkable precision and efficiency.'

In the video, the T-cells appear as orange or green amorphous blobs that move around rapidly, constantly investigating their environment.

When a killer T-cell finds a cancer cell (blue in the video), membrane 'fingers' explore its surface to confirm its identity. The T-cell then binds to the cancer cell and injects toxic proteins (red) down special pathways called microtubules to the interface where the two cells meet. The T-cell then punctures the surface of the cancer cell and delivers its deadly cargo.

'In our bodies, where cells are packed together, it's essential that the T-cell focuses the lethal hit on its target, otherwise it will cause collateral damage to neighbouring, healthy cells,' said Prof Griffiths.

The study by a joint team of British and US scientists is described in the journal Immunity.

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