Cancer progression is aided by the ability of tumors to evade recognition by the immune system. In this issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation , Gerard Blobe and colleagues at Duke University identify a mechanism by which tumors evade detection. Using mouse models of breast cancer and melanoma, they show that loss of the Type III TGF-β receptor (TGFBR3) in tumors promotes cancer progression by altering signaling in tumor-associated immune cells.
This study supports the use of TGF-β inhibitors to enhance the efficacy of therapies that promote immune-mediated elimination of tumor cells.
TITLE: Type III TGF-β receptor downregulation generates and immunotolerant tumor microenvironment
AUTHOR CONTACT: Gerard C. Blobe
Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
Phone: (919) 668-1352; Fax: (919) 681-6906; E-mail: blobe001@mc.duke.edu
View this article at: http://www.jci.org/articles/view/65745?key=f673123b974c4089ed3b
Journal of Clinical Investigation