2025
February
TLR agonism and PD-1 blockade unfortunately activate suppressor cells
February 26, 2025
The activation of an immune response involves a system of checks and balances. While immunotherapies can be used to tip the scales, they are not always effective, as resistance mechanisms may act to counter desired responses. In research recently published in Science Translational Medicine, Nishinakamura and Shinya et al. found that a combination...
Neoantigen vaccination shows promising prevention of recurrence of high-risk kidney cancer
February 19, 2025
Kidney cancer is a common cancer type, and about 75-80% of cases are clear cell renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Patients with RCC are often faced with a high risk of cancer recurrence after complete surgical removal. In a recent Phase I clinical trial published in Nature, Braun and colleagues investigated the potential of...
PD-L1 and CD80 interactions make DCs move
February 12, 2025
Research has shown that PD-L1 expression on dendritic cells (DCs) is essential for intracellular signaling that plays a role in chemokine-mediated DC migration. In a recent paper in Science Advances, Kantheti et al. investigated whether the extracellular interaction of PD-L1 on DCs with PD-1 or with CD80 in cis or in trans plays...
Cholesterol supports cDC maturation, while AXL dampens it
February 5, 2025
The maturation of dendritic cells plays a critical role in initiating a cascade of immune responses, but exactly how cDCs mature in the absence of inflammation is not entirely understood. Investigating this process, Belabed and Park et al. found that following the uptake of cellular debris and antigens, cDCs increase transport and synthesis...
