Tertiary lymphoid structures: Key to predicting and improving cancer immunotherapy response?

In the decade-long search for ways to predict which cancer patients will respond to checkpoint inhibitors, tertiary lymphoid structures are emerging as promising new marker. These structures, when present in and around tumors, are associated with improved patients outcomes. The next challenges lie in validating their predictive value and determining whether inducing their formation can enhance the effectiveness of cancer immunotherapies.

Tertiary lymphoid structures (TLSs) are clusters of immune cells that form in non-lymphoid tissues. They’re often found around solid tumors — as well as inflamed tissues — where they function as immunological hubs that drive localized adaptive immune responses. The structures include T cells, B cells and antigen-presenting cells...