2026
February
Flt3L fuels DCs to promote ICB-responsive Tpex cells
February 25, 2026
An important predictor of response to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) is the presence of precursor exhausted T cells (Tpex) in the tumor. Conventional type 1 DCs (cDC1) are known to maintain these Tpex, and modulation of these factors might promote better therapeutic responses. In a recent publication in Nature Immunology, Lai, Chan, Armitage...
Deep and durable T cell responses after oncolytic viral therapy in glioblastoma
February 18, 2026
In a recent clinical trial, patients with glioblastoma (GBM) were treated with a single dose of an oHSV-1-based oncolytic viral therapy, rQNestin34.5v.2 (CAN-3110, linoserpaturev), in which expression of the viral ICP34.5 gene was controlled by the nestin promoter, overexpressed in GBM. Following up on evidence that treatment was associated with immune activation signatures...
Good things come in threes: results from clinical trials to improve checkpoint blockade
February 11, 2026
Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) has become a staple in the treatment of numerous cancers, but its efficacy could still be improved. Recently, three separate clinical trials explored strategies to improve ICB in the clinic. In one study, Duttagupta, Messaoudene, et al. investigated fecal microbiome transplant (FMT) in combination with ICB in patients with...
BACH2 orchestrates T cell differentiation and can be used to optimize cellular immunotherapies
February 4, 2026
Adoptive T cell transfer (ACT) and CAR-T treatment strategies are limited in their efficacy against solid tumors, as chronic antigen exposure induces exhaustion phenotypes, with reduced proliferation and effector function, limited persistence, and reduced therapeutic efficacy as consequences. Three recent back-to-back publications in Nature Immunology assessed the role of BACH2 in these processes...
