Mara Cenerenti, a postdoctoral researcher in our BTRU, has just shared her latest PhD findings on bioRxiv (pronounced “bio-archive”). This platform allows researchers to make their work available quickly to the scientific community and receive constructive feedback.
Working with collaborators across multiple teams, Mara has found that a specific group of helper immune cells (called CD4 T cells) can directly kill cancer cells and may play a more important role in cancer defence than previously appreciated.
She identified that a marker on these cells, called KLRG1, distinguishes the most effective tumour-killing CD4 T cells. It also enables them to selectively target cancer cells while sparing other immune cells. However, substances released by tumours, especially the inflammatory signal IL-6, can weaken these killer cells and push them into a less effective state.
This is particularly important because it suggests that blocking the IL-6 pathway could strengthen the body’s own immune response against cancer and potentially open up new treatment strategies.
You can read the full scientific article at: KLRG1 identifies circulating cytotoxic CD4 T cells with selective anti-tumor function in human cancer | bioRxiv