Study reveals critical role of lymph nodes in immunotherapy

Alsharq Tribune-Otaify

Research showed lymph nodes are critical for cancer immunotherapy success, challenging the long-standing practice of routinely removing them during surgery.

Researchers from Australia, Germany, Switzerland and Italy explored the cellular and molecular interactions revealing how lymph nodes play a crucial role in the fight against chronic infection and cancer, according to a statement released Wednesday by Australia's Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity.

The research showed that lymph nodes provide the right environment for stem-like T cells, an important type of immune cell, to survive, multiply and produce killer cells that can fight cancer or viruses.

In other immune organs, such as the spleen, these cells don't develop or proliferate as effectively, making lymph nodes essential for a strong immune response and successful immunotherapy.

"Lymph nodes aren't just passive waiting rooms for immune cells, they actively train and educate T cells, and send them off to do their job," said Professor Axel Kallies of Australia's University of Melbourne, senior author of the two studies published in Nature Immunology.

"Removing lymph nodes during cancer surgery, a common practice to prevent tumor spread, may inadvertently reduce the effectiveness of treatments, such as checkpoint blockade and CAR T cell therapies," Kallies said.

Preserving lymph nodes could strengthen immune responses and increase the effectiveness of immunotherapy, he said.

The findings could help explain why some patients respond better to immunotherapy than others, as differences in lymph node function directly influence the body's ability to generate cancer-fighting cells, the statement said.