Our immune system fights cancer through T cells, a type of white blood cell that can recognize and destroy tumor cells. However, not all T cells are effective for this activity. A recently discovered population, called stem-like T cells, can survive for long periods but cannot kill cancer cells directly; instead, they serve as early-stage that generate new effector T cells capable of tumor destruction. We recently found that a special subset of human dendritic cells (another type of immune cells) communicates with T cells through previously unknown particles, that we termed REGSOMEs, which promote the formation of these stem-like T cells. In this project, we aim to reveal how REGSOMEs are produced, what molecules they carry, and how they regulate T-cell behavior. Understanding this new communication system may lead to improved strategies to boost anti-tumor immunity and enhance the success of future cancer immunotherapies.

2026

2030