Exciting step forward for Moffitt and Speros. Radiopharmaceuticals have tremendous potential to help us see cancer more clearly, treat it more precisely and bring new options to patients. We are just getting started!

🧬 #ScienceSaturday What if some cancer-fighting T cells aren’t exhausted but simply waiting to be activated? A new study published in @Cancer_Cell looked at T cells in the bone marrow of patients with multiple myeloma and acute myeloid leukemia (AML) to better understand how they recognize and respond to cancer. ➡️ Researchers identified a small group of tumor-reactive T cells that could recognize cancer cells. But unlike the exhausted T cells commonly found in solid tumors, these cells still showed strong cancer-killing features. In other words, they appeared to be armed and capable of fighting cancer, but not fully activated. ➡️ The researchers also developed a 15-gene signature called TFiT that can help identify these tumor-reactive T cells. When they looked at patients receiving immune-based treatments, including a bispecific antibody in multiple myeloma and immunotherapy in #AML, patients who responded were more likely to have these T cells present or see them expand during treatment. Interestingly, the signature did not predict response to standard chemotherapy in AML, suggesting it may specifically reflect the immune system’s role in controlling the #cancer. ➡️ The team also found that many of the targets recognized by these #TCells did not come from traditional cancer mutations. Instead, they came from unusual protein fragments produced by cancer cells, and some were shared among multiple patients. 🧠 Why this matters: These findings suggest that T cells in bone marrow cancers may behave very differently from those inside solid tumors. Rather than needing to “wake up” exhausted T cells, some treatments may work by activating cancer-fighting T cells that are already there and ready to respond. ✨ Big takeaway: Understanding which T cells are already capable of recognizing cancer, and how to activate them, could help researchers develop more precise immunotherapies for multiple myeloma, AML and potentially other blood cancers. @mircoscopy @DKFZ @UniHeidelberg @broadinstitute @MIT Read more here: cell.com/action/showPdf?pii=…

Thankful for today’s conversation with @MoffittNews department chairs David Buxton, Peter Kanetsky, Greg Sawyer and Robert Wenham. 🤝 Their leadership reflects what makes Moffitt special: collaboration, purpose and continued focus on improving outcomes for patients. @RMWenham @ProfGregSawyer @MoffittResearch