Identifying additional immune checkpoints is central to advancing cancer immunotherapies that can effectively harness the body’s immune system to target tumors. In a new study, researchers have identified the serotonin transporter (SERT) as a previously unrecognized regulator that may contribute to the suppression of antitumor T cell responses.
SERT, known for its role in maintaining serotonin levels in the central nervous system and peripheral tissues, has now been found to influence immune functions relevant to cancer progression. The study reveals that SERT is induced under certain tumor microenvironment conditions, leading to impaired T cell activity—key players in the immune system’s ability to fight cancer.
This discovery adds SERT to the growing list of immune checkpoints—molecules that can restrain immune activation. Therapies targeting existing checkpoints, such as PD-1 and CTLA-4, have revolutionized cancer treatment in recent years. However, not all patients respond to current therapies, underscoring the need to identify new inhibitory pathways that tumors exploit to evade immune detection.
The study’s findings suggest that modulating SERT activity could improve T cell responses and potentially enhance the efficacy of existing immunotherapies. Further research is ongoing to understand the precise mechanisms by which SERT regulates immune responses and to explore its viability as a therapeutic target.
This breakthrough could pave the way for novel treatment options and broaden the arsenal of tools available in the fight against cancer, particularly for patients unresponsive to current T cell-based therapies.
Source: https:// – Courtesy of the original publisher.
