2023
July
Turning the tide: reprogrammed tumor cells become APCs
July 26, 2023
One immune evasion mechanism that limits antitumor immunity and response to immunotherapy is the downregulation of antigen processing and presentation in tumors. Zimmermannova and Ferreira et al. aimed to reverse this mechanism by forced expression of dendritic cell transcription factors in tumor cells to induce an antigen-presenting cell (APC) phenotype. Their results were...
Neoantigen-specific CD4+ T cells are powerful helpers
July 19, 2023
CD4+ T cells have been shown time and time again to play roles in antitumor immunity, but the exact mechanism and factors that influence their effects remain unclear. Previous research in mice identified a specific CD4+ T cell response to CLTCH129>Q – a validated neoantigen target expressed by the MHC-II-deficient squamous cell carcinoma...
Novel CD40 agonistic antibodies with immune activating antitumor effects
July 12, 2023
CD40 expressed on antigen-presenting cells (APCs) regulates immune responses by binding to CD40L on T cells, which stimulates antigen presentation and activation of both cell subsets. Therefore, targeting CD40 with an agonist antibody has potential as an immunotherapy for cancer. Current research into CD40 agonistic antibodies is focused on increasing efficacy and reducing...
CXCR3 on Tregs controls their accumulation, activation
July 5, 2023
Regulatory T cells (Tregs) often present a challenge to antitumor immunity, but exactly how they suppress immune responses is not entirely understood. Investigating the accumulation and activation of Tregs in tumors, Moreno Ayala et al. found that CXCR3+ Tregs interacted preferentially with CXCL9+ DC1s in tumors, and that genetic knockout of CXCR3 specifically...
