January 2023: $ $ MHC class II-restricted antigen presentation is required to prevent dysfunction of cytotoxic T cells by blood-borne myeloids in brain tumors

Paper: Cancer Cell
Author: Dr. med. Dr. rer. nat. Lukas Bunse
Institution: Neurology Clinic, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University Heidelberg and Clinical Cooperation Unit Neuroimmunology and Brain Tumor Immunology, German Cancer Research Center Heidelberg.

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Project description:

Brain tumor immunotherapies often fail because immune cells are slowed down by immunosuppressive conditions in the tumor. Cytotoxic T cells are immune cells that ultimately induce tumor cell death. These cytotoxic T cells do migrate into brain tumors - but rapidly lose their functionality due to the immunosuppressive conditions.
In this study, it was found that in brain tumors, a specific type of immune cells that migrate from the blood to the tumor site, myeloid cells, are necessary for the sustained function of cytotoxic T cells.
If the myeloid cells lack certain surface proteins, the MHCII molecules, cytotoxic T cells remain inactive. However, if the so-called osteopontin level decreases due to MHCII-mediated activation of myeloid cells, cytotoxic T cells regain their functionality.

Publication:

Michael Kilian, Ron Sheinin, Chin Leng Tan, Mirco Friedrich, Christopher Krämer, Ayelet Kaminitz, Khwab Sanghvi, Katharina Lindner, Yu-Chan Chih, Frederik Cichon, Benjamin Richter, Stefanie Jung, Kristine Jähne, Miriam Ratliff, Robert M Prins, Nima Etminan, Andreas von Deimling, Wolfgang Wick, Asaf Madi, Lukas Bunse, Michael Platten
Cancer Cell. 2023 Feb 13;41(2):235-251.e9.

Paper: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36638785/

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Else Kröner-Fresenius-Stiftung is using the series “Paper of the Month” to report in an exemplary and hot-off-the-press style on the outstanding work being done by the scientists it supports. We regularly present publications which have recently appeared in especially renowned journals, have emerged from foundation funding and been given appropriate acknowledgment. This is done in the respective categories “Original Paper” and “Review”. In the case of each of these publications, the first author and/or senior author are being funded by the foundation.

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Anne Asschenfeldt
Anne Asschenfeldt
Scientific Funding: Ongoing Project Funding and Fellowships