Immune cell triads reprogram exhausted CD8+ T cells for effective tumor elimination

In this issue of Cancer Cell, Espinosa-Carrasco et al. show that the efficacy of cancer immunotherapies depends upon the formation of intratumoral immune triads between antigen-presenting cells and antigen-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. This interaction reprograms tumor-specific CD8+ T cells to exert potent effector functions and eradicate established solid tumors. In this issue of Cancer Cell, Espinosa-Carrasco et al. show that the efficacy of cancer immunotherapies depends upon the formation of intratumoral immune triads between antigen-presenting cells and antigen-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. This interaction reprograms tumor-specific CD8+ T cells to exert potent effector functions and eradicate established solid tumors. Intratumoral immune triads are required for immunotherapy-mediated elimination of solid tumorsEspinosa-Carrasco et al.Cancer CellJune 20, 2024In BriefTumor-specific CD8+ T cells are dysfunctional within tumors. Espinosa-Carrasco et al. show that CD4+ T cells must engage with CD8+ T cells on the same antigen-presenting cell (APC) during the effector phase, forming a three-cell-cluster (triad) to license CD8+ T cell cytotoxicity and CD8+ T cell-mediated cancer cell elimination. Full-Text PDF