2023
June
A few CD4+ T cells go a long way against immune-evasive tumors
June 28, 2023
Investigating the contributions of CD4+ T cells to antitumor immunity, Kruse, Buzzai, Shridhar, and Braun et al. unraveled a mechanism through which a small number of CD4+ T cells can eradicate MHC-deficient, IFNγ-unresponsive tumors that escape direct CD8+ T cell targeting. Their results, recently published in Nature, show that, in concert with innate...
New gut-associated checkpoint might be involved in ICB resistance in cancer
June 21, 2023
In several cancer types, antibiotics limit the efficacy of immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy. On the other hand, metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) is largely resistant to ICB. The mechanisms behind these effects remain largely unknown. Two recent publications suggest that a novel checkpoint axis, the mucosal addressin cell adhesion molecule 1 (MAdCAM-1)-α4β7 integrin...
CD4+ CAR T cells kill tumor cells from a distance with IFNγ
June 14, 2023
CD8+ T cells often take center stage when it comes to immunotherapy, but in some cases, CD4+ T cells contribute strongly, and may even exert more potent effects than CD8+ T cells. Investigating the variable contributions of CD4+ T cells to antitumor efficacy in CAR T cell therapy, Boulch et al. explored the...
A new combination for fighting gliomas in both mice and patients
June 7, 2023
In the hunt for treatments against recurrent glioblastoma, one option that has shown efficacy in mouse models is L19TNF, an antibody–cytokine fusion molecule that targets the EDB domain of fibronectin, which is highly expressed in blood vessels in glioblastoma (but not normal blood vessels), and delivers TNF, which increases the permeability of newly...
