Cytokine-robbing cells

Transferring tumor-specific T cells is not enough to fight disease, according to Gattinoni et al. on page 907, because endogenous cells steal necessary activating cytokines. This limits the ability of the transferred cells to launch an antitumor attack in mice.

Elimination of the body's lymphocytes followed by infusion of tumor-specific CD8⁺ T cells has recently been shown to help destroy established tumors in humans. Studies in mice have suggested that irradiation works in two ways. The depletion of host cells creates empty space, which the transferred cells can fill by homeostatic proliferation. The depletion also rids the host of regulatory T (T reg) cells, which would otherwise dampen the function of the transferred antitumor cells.

Gattinoni and colleagues now add a new wrinkle to this...