The Body's Secret Army

The official Nobel Prize web site recently posted a very cool video called "The Body's Secret Army," which explains how the immune system works.

The very cool part? It features explanations from a bunch of researchers who have won the Nobel Prize for their work in helping us understand the immune system.

The video begins with some history of immunology (the study of the immune system), and then moves on to more recent developments in the field. One of the developments discussed is monoclonal antibodies -- like my old pal Rituxan (though Rituxan isn't mentioned specifially). It's interesting to see how Rituxan fits in with immunology -- basically, how a monoclonal antibody does the job that the body's immune system should do (but can't).

In fact, there's quite a bit in the video about cancer, and the role that the immune system plays (or fails to play) in malignancies. I was especially fascinated by the segment on how monoclonal antibodies are being used for cancers other than lymphoma.

Neat stuff. The video is about 30 minutes long, and slightly graphic in at least one place (a woman's swollen face). But I recommend it as a nice way to increase your knowledge of how your own body works (or doesn't).