Mechanisms controlling formation of tertiary lymphoid structures in tumors have been discovered

The immune system consists of different types of cells and the proteins they secrete, including T cells and B cells, which regulate the development of cancer

Several studies have found that patients with tumors with tertiary lymphoid structures have better outcomes, including better responses to immunotherapy

Moffitt's researchers conducted a series of laboratory experiments with cells and mouse models to improve their understanding of the molecular and cellular mechanisms that lead to the formation of tertiary lymphoid structures

The researchers confirmed the importance of SATB1 in this process, showing that T-cell mice lacking SATB1 had a higher proportion of Tfh cells capable of interacting with B cells and forming tertiary lymphoid structures within tumors

The researchers hope their findings will lead to new interventions to coordinate the tertiary lymphoid structure of unresectable tumors to support anticancer immunotherapy

"Tertiary lymphoid structures are found in approximately 20% of human cancers

This research was supported by the National Cancer Institute (P30 CA076292)

Journal Reference :

1. Ricardo A.