Dr. Jan Böttcher, group leader and TUM Junior Fellow at the Institute of Molecular Immunology at Klinikum rechts der Isar (left) and doctoral student Sebastian Lacher in front of an immunofluorescence microscopy image of a tumor in which tumor-infiltrating immune cells can be seen. In the journal Nature , the scientists describe a mechanism by which tumors prevent stem cell-like T cells from developing into cytotoxic T cells that could fight the cancer.
Credit: Astrid Eckert / TUM Tumors actively inhibit the development of immune responses by cytotoxic T cells, crucial for fighting cancer. For the first time, researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU) Hospital have discovered the precise mechanisms behind this. Published in the journal Nature , their study offers insights for novel cancer immunotherapies and could enhance the efficacy of current treatments.
A follow-up study, also published in Nature , corroborates these findings. In cancer, tumors often impair the body’s immune response. For example, they can prevent immune cells from perceiving cancer cells as a threat or render them inactive.
Immunotherapies aim to overcome these mechanisms and stimulate the immune system, in particular the T cells. However, such therapies do not work for a large number of cancer patients. Researchers around the world are looking for the causes and new counter-strategies.
Messenger substance stops effector development of.
