This image depicts the immune system responding to human lung cancer. CD8 T cells, shown in magenta, play the most important role in fighting the tumor. Through our studies in mice, we have found that some CD8 T cells are better at killing tumors than others. In this image we are highlighting a CD8 T cell population marked by CCR6, in green, that does a poor job of controlling tumors in patients treated with “immune checkpoint blockade” therapies. Analyzing the relative abundance of this cell population in patient tumors may help us better predict which patients will respond to immunotherapy.

Markers: tumor (TTF, white), CD8 T cells (magenta), CCR6 (green), B cells (CD20, blue), vasculature (α-SMA, orange)