MELBOURNE, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Researchers in Australia have uncovered surprising new insights into the evolution of the brain's immune system.
In a study published in Nature, the team explored a highly specialized population of cells that operate at the brain's borders, including "border-associated macrophages" -- blood cells that clean wastes in humans and other mammals, said a statement from Australia's Peter MacCallum Cancer Center on Thursday.
The serendipitous finding emerges from broader research to understand brain barriers and harness them for treating brain cancers, which often evade immunotherapy and anti-cancer drugs by hiding behind protective barriers and manipulating their local environment, the researchers said. ■