T cells: Life after exhaustion?

Weizmann Institute of Science and Netherlands Cancer Institute (NKI) scientists have shown dysfunctional T cells are not as "exhausted" as previously thought, but display proliferative activity and tumor recognition. In a Cell paper published on Dec. 27, the team wrote further study of this T cell population could help identify new immunomodulatory pathways and better T cell cancer therapies.

Author Anne van der Leun said dysfunctional T cells are typically characterized by loss of effector functions and up-regulation of inhibitory receptors such as PD-1, both of which limit the cells' tumor-killing capacity. van der Leun is a Ph.D. student in the lab of Ton Schumacher, a professor of molecular oncology and immunology at NKI...