Bispecific dendritic-T cell engager potentiates anti-tumor immunity. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38242085/)

These scientists wanted to find a better way to treat cancer using a type of medicine called aPD-1 monoclonal antibodies. They found that this medicine only worked for some patients and sometimes the cancer came back. So, they decided to study how different cells in our body communicate with each other to fight cancer.

They focused on two types of cells called conventional type I dendritic cells (cDC1) and T cells. These cells need to talk to each other to fight the cancer effectively. The scientists wanted to help these cells communicate better, so they created a special substance called a bispecific DC-T cell engager (BiCE). This substance helps the PD-1(+) T cells and cDC1 cells to physically interact with each other.

They tested this substance on tumors and the lymph nodes near the tumors in animals. They found that when they used BiCE, the communication between the cells became stronger and more effective in fighting the cancer. They also compared BiCE to the normal aPD-1 treatment and found that BiCE was better at changing the immune system to fight the cancer.

So, these scientists discovered that by using BiCE to help the cells talk to each other, they can make the immune system stronger and better at fighting cancer. This could lead to new and improved treatments for cancer in the future.

Shapir Itai Y., Barboy O., Salomon R., Bercovich A., Xie K., Winter E., Shami T., Porat Z., Erez N., Tanay A., Amit I., Dahan R. Bispecific dendritic-T cell engager potentiates anti-tumor immunity. Cell. 2024 Jan 18;187(2):375-389.e18. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.12.011.