Outlook in 2013

Increased understanding of immune- and tumour-cell biology has led to an explosion of research into potential ways to harness the immune system to kill cancer. By Emily Elert.

William Coley found a way to prompt the immune system to fight cancer over a century ago. After years of neglect, scientists are now seeking to replicate his success.

An experimental vaccine implanted beneath the skin could usher in biomaterial-based immunotherapies for cancer.

Immunologist Karolina Palucka, at the Baylor Institute for Immunology Research in Dallas, Texas, helped treat Nobel prizewinner Ralph Steinman's pancreatic cancer with dendritic cells — the cells he co-discovered. Here she explains the use of dendritic cells in cancer immunotherapy.

Using a variety of creative imaging techniques, researchers are tracking the dynamic interactions of immune and cancer cells. Their results will guide drug development.

Genetically altered immune cells are helping to push life-threatening cancers into remission and generating a buzz.

Tumours can put a brake on the immune system, but new therapies work by removing these brakes. Now, researchers have to figure out how to use them most effectively.

An injury to the spine — the long bony assemblage that supports the upper body and the spinal cord that carries nerve signals — can be grim and costly. By Bill Cannon.

Drugs to protect vulnerable neurons and encourage neural circuits to reform could one day improve the outlook for patients with acute spinal cord trauma.

There are easy ways to reduce the odds of suffering a life-changing injury, says Sara Klaas.

Better data and technology could prevent many devastating injuries, says Peter Cripton.

Minimizing the damage done by an injury to the spinal cord requires fast action and advanced technology.

Mechanical suits known as exoskeletons can help people with spinal cord injuries stand up and walk away from their wheelchairs — but not without training.

The first stem-cell therapies for spinal cord injuries are already being tested in clinical studies, but scientific and political uncertainty remain.

Surgeons can help fix damaged vertebrae, but could an infusion of cells in a bioengineered material grow to replace a damaged spinal column?

The ability to look inside the human body without using a scalpel has revolutionized how we diagnose and treat illness and injury. By Brian Owens.

From magnetically tagged sugar to smoke-sensing surgical knives and beams of high-energy protons, the next wave of imaging technologies will provide a clearer view of the body.