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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Science
Ian Sample Science editor

What is immunotherapy and how does it treat cancer and other conditions?

Hands of nurse in blue protective gloves with syringe and vial
A nurse preparing a new immunotherapy injection for more than a dozen cancers, at the Mount Vernon Cancer Centre in Hertfordshire. Photograph: Shivansh Gupta/PA

Clinical trials of immunotherapies have rocketed in the past decade as researchers have turned their understanding of the body’s defences into powerful new treatments. Leading the pack are cancer therapies, but researchers have other conditions in their sights, from infections and allergies to brain diseases and autoimmune disorders. Here, we explore how these therapies work.

What is immunotherapy?

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