New strategy could prevent T cell exhaustion and boost immunotherapy

MedicalXpress | Jul 23, 2026

A major pillar of cancer immunotherapy involves stimulating T cells, the specialized killers of the immune system, to attack tumors. But this strategy has been undermined by the tendency of T cells to tire out before finishing the job. When the cells reach a fatigued stage—called T cell exhaustion—they lose the ability to sustain the attack and keep cancer growth under control.