By Brittany CordeiroMayo Clinic researchers have identified a protein that cancer cells use to shut down the body’s immune response, a discovery that could help scientists develop new treatments that make cancer immunotherapies more effective. The researchers found that TRAILshort prevents T cells — the immune system’s primary cancer-fighting cells — from recognizing and destroying cancer and virus-infected cells. How cancer disrupts the immune responseMayo Clinic researchers first discovered TRAILshort while studying HIV nearly 15 years ago. Beyond cancer, researchers say TRAILshort may eventually provide a way to selectively reduce harmful immune activity in autoimmune diseases or transplantation without broadly suppressing the immune system. “By targeting TRAILshort, we may be able to strengthen immune responses against cancer and chronic infections or, in other diseases, reduce harmful immune activity.”