T Cells Can Activate Themselves to Fight Tumors
Published:12 Jun.2023 Source:University of California-San Diego
When you need a bit of motivation, it often has to come from within. New research suggests cancer-fighting immune cells have found a way to do just that. Scientists at University of California San Diego have discovered a property of T cells that could inspire new anti-tumor therapeutics. Through a previously undescribed form of cell auto-signaling, T cells were shown to activate themselves in peripheral tissues, fueling their ability to attack tumors.
Through a series of experiments, the researchers found that T cells could indeed self-activate by puckering their cell membrane inwards to allow the B7 protein and the CD28 receptor to bind each other. The researchers then confirmed that this auto-stimulation was indeed effective in boosting T cell function and slowing tumor growth in a mouse model of cancer.
The researchers also suggest this system could be used as a cancer biomarker, in that patients whose tumors contain many T cells with B7 may be doing better at fighting the disease. On the other hand, in patients with autoimmune diseases such as lupus or multiple sclerosis, physicians could prescribe endocytosis inhibitors to prevent the cell from forming concavities, effectively blocking the B7:CD28 interaction to reduce overactive T cell function.