2019
February
Boosting immunity with the microbiome
February 27, 2019
In recent years, the microbiome has gained increased attention for its effects on the immune system, and it is well known to influence the CD4+ T cell compartment; however, little is known of its effect on CD8+ T cells. In a study recently published in Nature, Tanoue and Morita et al. show that...
Found: tumor-reactive regulatory T cells
February 20, 2019
Elevated levels of CD4+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) are often found in human tumors and are associated with poor prognosis. However, the antigen specificity of intratumoral Tregs is not well understood. In a paper recently published in Science Immunology, Ahmadzadeh et al. analyzed the relationships of TCR sequences between intratumoral FOXP3+ Tregs, circulating...
Tcf1+ progenitor-like T cell subsets sustain antitumor responses
February 13, 2019
Two articles, recently published back to back in Cell, identify important roles for T cells expressing Tcf1 (encoded by Tcf7), a transcription factor known to play roles in maintaining a relatively undifferentiated T cell state, promoting self-renewal and T cell memory. Kurtulus and Madi et al., working primarily with the MC38-OVA colon carcinoma...
Koch Institute Immune Engineering Symposium 2019
February 6, 2019
Last week, the ACIR team attended the Koch Institute Immune Engineering Symposium in Cambridge, Massachusetts. This week’s extensive special feature covers select talks from the conference. Robert Schreiber opened the symposium by examining the role of MHC II and CD4+ T cells in tumor control, particularly with the backdrop that many tumors do...
