In an article published in the January issue of Cancer Cell, members of the Department of Immunology at Moffitt report that TIM-3 is expressed by intratumoral CD103+ dendritic cells – the cells responsible for the initial activation of anti-tumor T cells – and alters their immunostimulatory function.
Accordingly, anti-TIM-3 antibody administration leads to superior anti-tumor activity by CD8+ T cells and an immune-mediated response to chemotherapy. These findings expand upon the potential targets of TIM-3 antibodies currently in clinical trials, and offer a rationale for combinatorial studies with chemotherapy in breast cancer and other solid malignancies. The team was led by Dr. Brian Ruffell, assistant member at Moffitt Cancer Center. Reference: de Mingo Pulido et al., 2018, Cancer Cell 33, 60–74.
