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0This research explores how PD-1 blockade therapy stimulates the development of tumor-specific antibodies within the lung cancer environment. By analyzing plasma cells found inside tumors, scientists identified a specific antibody, PC-1, which targets citrullinated proteins found on the surface of malignant cells and immunosuppressive myeloid cells. These proteins serve as unique markers for disease because they are modified versions of normal structural proteins, like vimentin, and are not typically present on healthy tissue. Leveraging this discovery, the team engineered CAR T cells equipped with the PC-1 recognition sequence to seek out and destroy cancerous targets. Experimental results demonstrate that these specialized immune cells effectively eliminate tumors in mice without causing off-target toxicity. Ultimately, the study suggests that the natural immune response of patients can be mined to create next-generation, targeted cancer immunotherapies.
References:
Meyerhoff R R, Chen A, O’Brien J, et al. Tumor-infiltrating plasma cell profiling after PD-1 blockade reveals tumor-specific antibodies[J]. Cancer Cell, 2026.
