HealthAugust 17, 2026

immunotherapies

IM-yuh-no-THAIR-uh-peez

Definition

Medical treatments that stimulate or restore the ability of the immune system to fight diseases, such as cancer.

Etymology

The word is a combination of the Latin 'immunis' (exempt or free) and the Greek 'therapeia' (healing), appearing in medical literature during the 20th century to describe treatments that boost the body's natural defenses.

In the news

The article suggests that by understanding how T cells adapt to dense physical environments like tumors, researchers could design more effective immunotherapies to treat cancer.

Scientists discover immune cells have a ‘sense of touch’

Read the full article ↗

McGill University

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