Neoantigen-specific CD4+ T cells induce protective, tumor-specific CD8+ T cells in a mouse model of multiple myeloma.

Cancer immunotherapies have primarily focused on generating tumoricidal CD8 T cells. However, recent data demonstrate a critical role for CD4 T cells in tumor immunity. CD4 T cells against epitopes derived from mutated tumor-associated neo-antigens (neoAg) conferred protection against tumor growth in animal models of neoAg vaccine therapy. In clinical studies, immunity elicited by neoAg vaccines was associated with improved survival, even though the majority of immune responses were CD4 T cells that did not have cytolytic activity.

Source: Clinical Lymphoma, Myeloma and Leukemia - September 30, 2019 Category: Hematology Authors: Selma Bekri, Reunet Rodney-Sandy, Bjarne Bogen, Daniel Levy, Hearn Jay Cho Source Type: research