Introduction:
Researchers at the German cancer research centre in Heidelberg have discovered that the protein B7H6, which is expressed on activated human T cells, can flag the cells for clearance by natural killer (NK) cells, weakening the response to CAR-T cell therapies. The flagged T cells were found to be abundant among T cell populations in tumour tissue and therapeutic CAR-T cells, indicating that NK clearance may be responsible for diminishing antitumor responses. By genetically knocking out B7H6, the researchers observed increased expansion and persistence of CAR-T cells, suggesting that B7H6 could be a new immune checkpoint molecule to target in cancer and immune disease therapies.
- Protein B7H6, highly expressed on activated human T cells, can flag the cells for clearance by natural killer (NK) cells, weakening the response to CAR-T cell therapies.
- Flagged T cells were found to be abundant among T cell populations in tumour tissue and therapeutic CAR-T cells, indicating that NK clearance may be responsible for diminishing antitumor responses.
- Knocking out B7H6 resulted in increased expansion and persistence of CAR-T cells, suggesting that B7H6 could be a new immune checkpoint molecule to target in cancer and immune disease therapies.
Conclusion:
The protein B7H6 plays a crucial role in weakening the response to CAR-T cell therapies by flagging activated human T cells for clearance by NK cells. By genetically knocking out B7H6, researchers observed improved expansion and persistence of CAR-T cells, indicating that B7H6 could be a potential target for cancer and immune disease therapies. This discovery provides new insights into the mechanisms of CAR-T cell therapies and highlights the importance of understanding immune checkpoints for developing more effective treatments.
