Dr. Dino Prato explains why immunotherapy fails: tumors create a physical barrier that locks out T cells and natural killer cells, preventing them from attacking cancer. This T cell exclusion, not a weak immune system, is often the real problem. Overcoming this barrier is key to making immunotherapy work.
Your immune system just found the cancer, but there's a wall, and the cells could save your life if they could just get in there and kill the cancer, but they're locked outside. And this is why immunotherapy fails for so many patients. Not just because your immune system was weak, not just because the drug wasn't the right selection, but because your T cells and your natural killer cells can't reach the tumor. They're standing at the door and nobody gave them the key. A new study highlights a major reason why this happens. It's called T cell exclusion.
