AI-rendered 3D representation of an activated dendritic cell with a coral-coloured nucleus, highlighting the use of the new reporter model. The nucleus of the cells of interest has been labeled scarlet. Credit: University of Manchester

Researchers found that a little-known group of immune cells is crucial for keeping cancer-fighting T cells active during immunotherapy.

A small and difficult-to-study population of immune cells may play a much larger role in fighting cancer than previously understood. Researchers at the University of Manchester’s Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute found that activated dendritic cells are crucial for organizing and sustaining the immune response against tumors.

The findings, published in Immunity on August 4, 2026, focus on these specialized immune cells, which help coordinate the body’s attack on cancer.

To uncover their role, the researchers created the first mouse models that allow activated dendritic cells to be specifically labeled or removed. Until now, the lack of suitable models had made it difficult to determine exactly how these cells contribute to anti-cancer immunity.

The new models allowed the researchers to directly test what happens when activated dendritic cells are absent. They are also expected to support future studies of these cells in cancer, infections, and autoimmune diseases.

Activated dendritic cells sustain cancer attack

Using the models, the researchers found that activated dendritic cells were essential for an effective anti-cancer immune response.

When the cells were removed, cancer-killing T cells were not activated efficiently and could not maintain their activity after entering tumors. This weakened both the immune system’s natural ability to control cancer and the effectiveness of immunotherapy.

Boosting these cells may improve immunotherapy

First author Maria Koufakis said: “Modern immunotherapies rely on strong and coordinated immune responses, yet many people still do not benefit from these treatments.”

“If we can find ways to boost activated dendritic cells, we may be able to strengthen the immune system’s response to cancer and help more patients benefit from immunotherapy, including some whose cancers currently resist treatment.”

Senior author Prof. Santiago Zelenay said: “Activated dendritic cells do not just launch the anti-tumor immune responses, they are also essential for sustaining them within the tumor itself.

This changes how we think about their role and opens up new opportunities to improve cancer immunotherapy.”

New models could answer broader questions

The research was funded by Cancer Research UK, with additional support from the European Molecular Biology Organization and the Italian Association for Cancer Research UK.

Research Information Manager at Cancer Research UK, Dr Marianne Baker, said: “Immunotherapies that harness our immune system to beat cancer are saving lives, but we don’t yet understand why they work for some people and not others.

“The models developed as part of this study could help scientists unlock ways to boost these revolutionary treatments via dendritic cells, a type of immune cell.

“We need more research to get there, but this work could help to solve unanswered questions in cancer immunotherapy and beyond.”

Reference: “CCR7+ activated dendritic cells are essential for spontaneous and immunotherapy-driven anti-tumor immunity” by Maria A. Koufaki, Erin Richardson, Eduardo Bonavita, Richard Reeves, Agrin Moeini, Shih-Chieh Chiang, Antonia Banyard, Massimo Russo, Charles H. Earnshaw, Charlotte R. Bell, Eimear Flanagan, Victoria S. Pelly, Laetitia Nebot-Bral, Anna Pidoux, Poppy Dunn, Sudhakar Sahoo, Sandrine Henri, Bernard Malissen, Andrew S. MacDonald, Natalia Moncaut and Santiago Zelenay, 4 August 2026, Immunity.
DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2026.07.002

This work was supported by a Cancer Research UK Institute Award (C5759/A27412) to S.Z. E.B. received additional funding from an EMBO advanced fellowship (aALT-638-2108) and the Italian Association for Cancer Research (AIRC), Start-Up grant no. 25828.

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