Immune system boost 'fights cancer'

A way of firing up the body's immune system in order to attack cancer has been discovered by US researchers.

The immune system is delicately balanced so it attacks invaders but not the body's own tissues.

Animal studies suggested that shifting the balance could open up new treatments for cancer, the team from the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia said.

The findings were published in Nature Medicine.

There are many diseases caused by the immune system turning on the body's own tissues - such as type 1 diabetes or multiple sclerosis.