New research from the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity demonstrates that lymph nodes play a critical role in generating effective immune responses against cancer and chronic infections by providing an optimal environment for stem-like T cells to survive, multiply, and produce cancer-fighting killer cells. Published in two Nature Immunology papers, the studies reveal that these immune cells don’t develop as effectively in other organs like the spleen, making lymph nodes essential for successful immunotherapy.
The findings suggest that the common surgical practice of removing lymph nodes near tumors to prevent cancer spread may actually reduce the effectiveness of treatments such as checkpoint blockade and CAR T cell therapies. Researchers identified specific molecular signals that regulate stem-like T cells and their ability to produce killer cells, which could guide the development of new therapeutic strategies that preserve and enhance lymph node function rather than removing these critical immune hubs. The work, currently based on animal models, is now being studied in clinical samples from melanoma patients to translate these discoveries into improved cancer treatments.
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