Cancer-killing T cells engage in a form of molecular crosstalk with other specialized immune cells to enhance anti-tumor immune responses in mice. Se-Ho Park and colleagues from Korea University in Seoul, South Korea, studied a specialized population of immune cells known as invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells, which serve as important mediators of tumor surveillance. They showed that iNKT cells directly interact with cancer-killing cytotoxic T cells through surface molecules and not through other immune cells. The resulting activation of iNKT cells leads to the production of a pro-inflammatory signaling molecule, which in turn enhances the proliferation and killing potential of the cytotoxic T cells, ultimately producing more potent tumor control in a mouse model of lymphoma. The findings could aid in the development of iNKT-based cancer immunotherapies.
- Yingyu Qin
- Sejin Oh
- Se-Ho Park
