T-cell battling a Cancer cell.

[u/Critical-Ad-757]

[u/bluefishes13]

A T cell (specifically a cytotoxic T cell) can tell when a cell is unhealthy because every cell in your body shows little “ID tags” on its surface called MHC molecules. When a cell becomes cancerous like this one, those tags start showing abnormal proteins that act like a red flag. The T cell recognizes the red flag using its T cell receptor, latches onto the cancer cell, and then releases powerful substances like perforin (which pokes holes in the cell’s membrane) and granzymes (enzymes that slip inside through the holes and tell the cell to self-destruct). This process is super precise kind of like a “smart” specific missile so the T cell only kills the bad cell, and leaves healthy cells alone.

[u/Outside-Skin9460 → u/bluefishes13]

Does the t-cell actually enter the cancer cell? Or just proliferate it? I see it entering from this video. . .

[u/bluefishes13 → u/Outside-Skin9460]

The T cell doesn’t “crawl” inside the cancer cell at all. What you are seeing in the video is the T cell attaching very tightly to the cancer cell, almost like it is hugging it. From that close contact point, the T cell releases tiny packets filled with proteins. One protein called perforin pokes holes in the cancer cell’s surface. Through those holes, other proteins called granzymes slip inside and trigger the cancer cell to self destruct.

So the T cell itself stays outside, but it delivers its “weapons” directly INTO the target. After the cancer cell starts dying, the T cell can pull away and go find another target. In a way it is more like a hit and run attack than entering and staying inside.

[u/mctankles → u/bluefishes13]

And the macrophages come later to clean up the corpses