SCRIPPS: Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute say they have recruited an unexpected ally in the mortal struggle against cancer: The very cells of the cancer itself. In lab experiments, a team led by Richard Lerner, M.D., turned leukemia cells into normal immune cells with up to 80 percent efficiency. What’s more, these “natural killer” cells seek out and destroy their unchanged cancerous brethren, the scientists say. If all goes well, a human clinical trial will be launched next year, Lerner said. The study is published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Lerner is senior author, first author is Kyungmoo Yea. When posted online, it will be available at.