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Immunology

Cancer cells send out ‘drones’ to battle the immune system from afar
Guo cancer drones

Like drones heading for battle, cancer cells emit vesicles containing immunity-suppressing proteins to tamp down T cell responses at sites throughout the body. (Image: Kelsey Burke)

Cancer cells send out ‘drones’ to battle the immune system from afar

Checkpoint inhibitor therapies have made metastatic melanoma and other cancers a survivable condition, but only for some patients. Researchers uncovered a novel mechanism by which tumors suppress the immune system, raising the possibility that a straightforward blood test could predict which patients could respond to immunotherapy.

Karen Kreeger , Katherine Unger Baillie