CD8 + T cells within the tumor microenvironment are exposed to various signals that ultimately determine functional outcomes. In October issue of Immunity, the team of Ludovic Martinet from the Centre de physiopathologie de Toulouse Purpan (CPTP) identified a new mechanism involved in T cell dysfunction. Through complementary approaches, involving cancer patients’ samples and relevant mouse tumor models, Weulersse et al. reveal that CD8+ T cells in the tumor microenvironment lose expression of the activating receptor CD226 (DNAM-1) in a manner that is Eomes dependent. CD226 loss restrains CD8+ T cell function and limits the efficacy of cancer immunotherapy. U-CRI researchers (Marie Le Moine, Elisa Brauns and Stanislas Goriely) contributed to this study.

To read the study: Eomes-Dependent Loss of the Co-activating Receptor CD226 Restrains CD8+ T Cell Anti-tumor Functions and Limits the Efficacy of Cancer Immunotherapy