We all know that scientists are never satisfied with what they have. There's always a search for something better which gives us an upper hand in the world.  New things are discovered about science daily.  You might discover something and see it as something unimportant and someone else might just discover it,  write about it, upload and get famous.  This dissatisfaction and discontent has brought us some good news yet again. Scientists at the University of California,  San Diego have. discovered a new way to help boost body's immune system against infections and cancer. 

Justin Milner, a postdoctoral researcher recruited a team of people from different disciplines to carry out this research effectively. Finally,  they were able to unveil a new function of a protein called **RUNX3**.  The runx3 is important for the development of killer T cells. What are killer T cells?  Killer T cells are immune cells that help us fight against infections and cancer. Some just prefer to call them cancer assassins.

They found out about the similarities of the T cells when present in tumors and infected tissues and they thought when T cells are abundant in tumor cells and infected tissues, it would provide a cure. In the lab,  they used Runx3 to boost the development of the T cells which makes Runx3 as important as the T cells itself,  because no runx3, no T cells or at least no T cells in abundance and it's needed in abundance to kill cancer and infection.
>Their study was published in the journal [nature](https://www.nature.com/articles/nature24993)

<center>![image](https://img.esteem.ws/3nc0a3rkuq.jpg)</center>
<center><sub>The protein Runx3 programs killer T cells to aim at infected tissues and tumors. 
[UC San Diego](https://ucsdnews.ucsd.edu/news_uploads/runx3.jpg)</sub></center>

It is easy to say that in the next few years, cancer won't be incurable again because it would then have a cure judging by the new discoveries that are made every day.  Every discovery takes us closer and closer all the time, I believe one day, history will be made. 

Goldrath, "the chairperson of the Section of Molecular Biology in the Division of Biological Sciences" believes with the great heights attained on cancer treatment as at today, there's more to come and  that there's a great future in treating cancer through the exploitation of the immune system and using it to target tumor cells or better still let's just say there's a great future in directing the immune system into the site of tumor cells or infected tissues where they do their job.

Many people already know the runx3 as a protein that fastens the development of killer T cells but that's all they know. This study didn't nullify that,  it only found out a way to use runx3 to channel the immune system and help it target tumor cells and infected tissues which is a therapeutic role. Although I didn't know this either, the experiment they did on a mice made it known. Their research revealed that runx3 can program killer T cells to trace and find tumor cells, thereby killing them or at least inhibiting their further growth. 

The researchers think Runx3 could combine with other approaches to develop T cells and make them know and destroy tumor cells. But in my own opinion, I think a laboratory production of runx3 and its combination with other compatible tumor treatment would be the bomb... 

**Highlights**
* Scientists discovered a new protein- runx3

* Runx3 aids the development of killer T cells. 

* Killer T cells destroy cancers and infections. 

* Runx3 also helps killer T cells to target tumor cells and infected tissues and destroy them. 



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# Sources #

* [USD](http://ucsdnews.ucsd.edu/pressrelease/scientists-identify-promising-new-approach-for-immune-system-defense)


* [News](https://www.follownews.com/scientists-identify-promising-new-approach-for-immune-system-defense-against-cancer-3uyl8)



# References #

* [Nature](https://www.nature.com/articles/nature24993)

* [Global News](http://globalnewsconnect.com/scientists-identify-promising-new-approach-for-immune-system-defense-against-cancer/)

* [Eureka Alert](https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-12/uoc--sip121117.php)