Subsequently, one may also ask, what did James Allison discover?

Allison was awarded the 2018 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine jointly with Japanese immunologist Tasuku Honjo, M.D., Ph. D., for the discovery of cancer therapies that stimulate the immune system to attack tumor cells.

Similarly, who discovered immunotherapy? Early Work. William B. Coley, MD, now known as the Father of Immunotherapy, first attempted to harness the immune system for treating cancer in the late 19th century.

Additionally, why did James P Allison win the Nobel Prize?

James P. Allison and Tasuku Honjo have won the 2018 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their discovery of cancer therapy that works by harnessing the body’s own immune system. The discoveries led to the decade’s major advance in cancer therapy, drugs called checkpoint inhibitors.

How does cancer immunotherapy work?

Immunotherapy, also called biologic therapy, is a type of cancer treatment that boosts the body’s natural defenses to fight cancer. It uses substances made by the body or in a laboratory to improve or restore immune system function. Immunotherapy may work by: Stopping or slowing the growth of cancer cells.