Researchers at the University of Manchester say they have identified a little-known population of immune cells that could help improve cancer treatment, after developing the first mouse models designed to specifically label or remove activated dendritic cells. The work, published in Immunity on 4 August 2026, suggests these cells are indispensable for effective anti-cancer immune responses and may open a new route for immunotherapy research.
In the study, the team used the new models to examine how activated dendritic cells contribute to the body’s defence against tumours. The researchers found that without these cells, cancer-killing T cells could not be efficiently activated or maintain their strength once inside tumours. As a result, both spontaneous immune control of cancer and the efficacy of immunotherapy were impaired.
Why activated dendritic cells matter
The findings matter because modern immunotherapies depend on strong and coordinated immune responses, yet many patients still do not benefit from them. According to the researchers, the new models should accelerate studies of activated dendritic cells not only in cancer, but also in infections and autoimmune diseases, where the same immune mechanisms may be relevant.
Dr. Maria Koufaki, the study’s first author, said that if scientists can find ways to boost activated dendritic cells, they 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 the cells do not only launch anti-tumour immune responses, but are also essential for sustaining them within the tumour itself. That, he said, changes how their role is understood and opens new opportunities to improve cancer immunotherapy.
What comes next for the research
The study was funded by Cancer Research UK, with additional support from the European Molecular Biology Organization and the Italian Association for Cancer Research UK. Cancer Research UK’s Dr. Marianne Baker said immunotherapies are already saving lives, but researchers still do not fully understand why they work for some people and not others. She added that the models developed in this study could help scientists unlock ways to boost these treatments via dendritic cells.
The research adds to a growing body of work aimed at explaining why some cancers respond to immunotherapy while others do not. For now, the findings are preclinical, but the new mouse models could give researchers a much clearer view of how immune responses are launched and maintained inside tumours, which may eventually inform future treatment strategies.
Source: News Medical
Photo source: AI-generated or edited image
