The extracellular matrix and immunity: breaking the old barrier in cancer

Extracellular matrix (ECM) is an integral component of solid cancers; however, the impact of the ECM on antitumor immunity has remained elusive. Sun and colleagues now demonstrate that discoidin domain receptor 1-mediated collagen assembly can exclude T cells from tumors. Together, recent studies highlight ECM as an active regulator of immunity in cancer. Extracellular matrix (ECM) is an integral component of solid cancers; however, the impact of the ECM on antitumor immunity has remained elusive. Sun and colleagues now demonstrate that discoidin domain receptor 1-mediated collagen assembly can exclude T cells from tumors. Together, recent studies highlight ECM as an active regulator of immunity in cancer.