Northwestern Medicine scientists have demonstrated that cancer cells – and not normal cells – can be killed by eliminating either the FAS receptor, also known as CD95, or its binding component, CD95 ligand. “The discovery seems counterintuitive because CD95 has previously been defined as a tumor suppressor,” said lead investigator Dr. Marcus Peter, professor in medicine-hematology/oncology. “But when we removed it from cancer cells, rather than proliferate, they died.” The findings were published in Cell Reports.