IGSF8 is an innate immune checkpoint and cancer immunotherapy target. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38657602/)

These scientists wanted to understand how some tumors can hide from the body's natural defenses. They found a protein called IGSF8 that is found on these tumors and can stop a type of immune cell called NK cells from doing their job of fighting off the cancer cells.

The scientists used a tool called CRISPR to study this protein and discovered that when IGSF8 interacts with certain receptors on NK cells, it stops them from working properly. They also found that blocking this interaction with an antibody can help the NK cells do their job better and can even make other immune cells more effective at fighting the cancer.

In experiments with mice that had tumors, the scientists showed that blocking IGSF8 can slow down the growth of the tumors. This research suggests that targeting IGSF8 could be a new way to help the body's immune system fight cancer better.

Li Y., Wu X., Sheng C., Liu H., Liu H., Tang Y., Liu C., Ding Q., Xie B., Xiao X., Zheng R., Yu Q., Guo Z., Ma J., Wang J., Gao J., Tian M., Wang W., Zhou J., Jiang L., Gu M., Shi S., Paull M., Yang G., Yang W., Landau S., Bao X., Hu X., Liu XS., Xiao T. IGSF8 is an innate immune checkpoint and cancer immunotherapy target. Cell. 2024 May 23;187(11):2703-2716.e23. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.03.039. Epub 2024 Apr 23.