Researchers Discover Why Cancer Immunotherapy Could Be Failing
A new study from Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center has discovered why immunotherapy fails in 60-80% of cancer patients. Researchers identified a previously unknown stress pathway called TexPSR that floods weakened immune cells with misfolded proteins, crippling their ability to attack tumors. Blocking this pathway in laboratory models restored immune cell function and significantly improved immunotherapy effectiveness across multiple cancer types. Immune system T cells recognize and fight infections and cancer, but often become weakened and lose effectiveness during prolonged battles with tumors. The Ohio State team found these depleted T cells collapse under misfolded proteins that trigger TexPSR,…