Tumours typically recruit regulatory T cells (Tregs) to suppress the activity of other T cells. This effectively prevents T cells from targeting – and destroying – the tumour.

Now, a team of scientists from Harvard Medical School have shown that overexpressing a fragment of a protein called Notch 1 in Tregs reverses their activity – and helps them promote T cell function. Although this team’s research is based in a model of immune tolerance, it has key (positive) implications for cancer immunotherapy strategies.

Image credit: Scientific Illustration for the Research Scientist.

Repost from the Stojdl Lab blog.