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04
August
2026
|
14:04
Europe/London

Scientists unmask immune cells that supercharge the fight against cancer

A little‑known group of hard-to-find immune cells could help transform cancer treatment, scientists at the University of Թϱ’s Cancer Research UK Թϱ Institute, have found.

Their discovery, published in the world leading journal on 04/08/26, centres on activated dendritic cells, a specialised population of immune cells that orchestrate the body’s attack on cancer.

To make the discovery, the researchers developed the first mouse models capable of specifically labelling or removing activated dendritic cells.

This allowed them to determine exactly how activated dendritic cells contribute to anti-cancer immunity.

The models are expected to accelerate research into activated dendritic cells across cancer, infections and autoimmune diseases.

Until now, scientists have struggled to understand precisely how activated dendritic cells contribute to anti-cancer immunity because suitable models did not exist.

Using the new models, the team showed that activated dendritic cells are indispensable for effective anti-cancer immune responses.

Without them, cancer-killing T cells could neither be efficiently activated nor maintain their strength once inside tumours.

Modern immunotherapies rely on strong and coordinated immune responses, yet many people still do not benefit from these treatments. If we can find ways to boost activated dendritic cells, we may be able to strengthen the immune system’s response to cancer and help more patients benefit from immunotherapy, including some whose cancers currently resist treatment
 
 

Dr Maria Koufaki

As a result, both spontaneous immune control of cancer and the efficacy of immunotherapy were impaired.

First author said: “Modern immunotherapies rely on strong and coordinated immune responses, yet many people still do not benefit from these treatments.”

“If we can find ways to boost activated dendritic cells, we may be able to strengthen the immune system’s response to cancer and help more patients benefit from immunotherapy, including some whose cancers currently resist treatment.”

Senior author said: “Activated dendritic cells do not just launch the anti-tumour immune responses, they are also essential for sustaining them within the tumour itself.

This changes how we think about their role and opens up new opportunities to improve cancer immunotherapy.”

The work was funded by Cancer Research UK, with additional support from the European Molecular Biology Organization and the Italian Association for Cancer Research UK.

Research Information Manager at Cancer Research UK, Dr Marianne Baker, said: "Immunotherapies that harness our immune system to beat cancer are saving lives, but we don't yet understand why they work for some people and not others.

“The models developed as part of this study could help scientists unlock ways to boost these revolutionary treatments via dendritic cells, a type of immune cell.

“We need more research to get there, but this work could help to solve unanswered questions in cancer immunotherapy and beyond."

  • Image: Ai-rendered 3Drepresentation of activated dendritic cell with a coral-coloured nucleus, highlighting the use of the new reporter model. The nucleus of the cells of interest has been labelled scarlet.
  • CCR7+activated dendritic cells are essential for spontaneous and immunotherapy-driven anti-tumor immunity, published in Immunity is available . DOI DOI:

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