Science spotlight: Biotechs discover new checkpoint target, and more

Shanghai Xunbaihui Biotechnology Co. Ltd. and GV20 Therapeutics LLC identified an immunoglobulin protein as an immune checkpoint expressed on tumor cells that suppresses NK cell cytotoxicity.

Over 65% of all tumors are antigen-presentation-deficient because of loss of HLA-I. Normally, HLA-I acts as a marker of “self,” and cells that lack HLA-I, for example due to viral infection, are killed by NK cells. Somehow, tumor cells avoid this fate...