2021
October
Frankenstein’s macrophages produce exceptional exosomes
October 27, 2021
In search of a cancer immunotherapy that increases cancer-specific T cells while modulating the immunosuppressive TME, Wang et al. investigated the potential of using exosomes derived from chimeras of macrophages and tumor cell nuclei. Their strategy was to combine activated macrophages, which produce exosomes capable of activating immunity and reprogramming M2 macrophages, with...
Chemotherapy and checkpoint inhibition differentially impact immune dynamics
October 20, 2021
While the effects of immune checkpoint blockade on the tumor microenvironment (TME) are widely investigated, the combined effect of chemotherapy and checkpoint blockade is less clear. Further, although the Impassion130 trial in advanced triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) combining nab-paclitaxel with anti-PD-L1 therapy led to clear patient benefits and product approval, a similar trial...
When neoantigen expression is low, the T cells won’t go
October 13, 2021
In the setting of colorectal cancer (CRC), mismatch repair (MMR)-deficient or microsatellite instability (MSI)-high disease tends to have higher tumor mutation burdens (TMB) and better responses to immunotherapy than MMR-proficient and microsatellite stable (MSS) disease. However, MSS CRC still has a mutation burden that is comparable to other cancers that respond to immunotherapy...
T cells with an identity crisis: gaining NK characteristics after CMV infection
October 6, 2021
Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection can have long-term immune effects, and NK and T cells both play roles in keeping HCMV latent. Based on the knowledge that CD8+ T cells can display NK cell-like properties, and that these cells can have a beneficial presence in individuals infected with particular intracellular pathogens causing tuberculosis or...
