Intratumoral cDC1-T Cell Clusters Serve as Sites of Local Costimulation to Enhance CTL-Mediated Tumor Rejection

Explore how immune cells coordinate within the tumor microenvironment to develop effective cancer immunotherapies in this 32-minute webinar presented by Dr. Kate Carbone from Seattle Children's Research Institute. Discover the critical role of spatial organization between type 1 conventional dendritic cells (cDC1s) and CD8⁺ cytotoxic T cells in determining tumor rejection outcomes. Learn about the innovative STAMP (Skin Tumor Array by Micro-Poration) model that enables real-time, longitudinal imaging of immune cell dynamics across multiple tumors simultaneously. Examine three major immunotypes based on infiltration patterns of cDC1s and T cells, understanding why tumors with co-infiltrating cell types forming structured immune clusters show significantly higher regression rates compared to those that exclude cDC1s despite T cell presence. Investigate the molecular programs and spatial cues that define divergent tumor fates, and discover how targeted chemokine modulation can enhance intratumoral cDC1-T cell clustering to improve tumor rejection. Gain insights into how cDC1 positioning and local T cell costimulation serve as critical determinants of therapeutic response, with implications for developing new strategies to overcome immunotherapy resistance. The presentation includes detailed analysis of immune cell behavior within the tumor microenvironment and practical applications for cancer immunotherapy development.