Immune checkpoint inhibition increases antigen-specific T cell response in head and neck cancer
Therapeutic strategies which target immune checkpoint markers and enable the immune system to initiate immune responses against tumor cells represent a major advancement in cancer therapy. The response rate to anti-PD-1 checkpoint inhibition in head and neck cancer is about 20%, which underlines the...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article (Journal) |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
09 February 2026
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| In: |
Scientific reports
Year: 2026, Volume: 16, Pages: 1-11 |
| ISSN: | 2045-2322 |
| DOI: | 10.1038/s41598-026-38740-z |
| Online Access: | Verlag, kostenfrei, Volltext: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-38740-z Verlag, kostenfrei, Volltext: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-026-38740-z 
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| Author Notes: | Patrick J. Schuler, Franziska Oliveri, Lisa Puntigam, Klara Six, Carlotta Kaißer, Julia Maier, Simon Laban, Adrian von Witzleben, Cornelia Brunner, David A.C. Messerer, Hubert Schrezenmeier, Thomas K. Hoffmann, Marlies Goetz and Jochen Greiner |
| Summary: | Therapeutic strategies which target immune checkpoint markers and enable the immune system to initiate immune responses against tumor cells represent a major advancement in cancer therapy. The response rate to anti-PD-1 checkpoint inhibition in head and neck cancer is about 20%, which underlines the importance of finding further immune-based treatment options. Furthermore, the effects of immune checkpoint inhibitors on antigen-specific T cells have not yet been sufficiently explored, therefore more detailed investigations are required. In mixed lymphocyte-peptide cultures, specific cytotoxic T cells were generated against various tumor-associated antigens. Several tumor-associated antigens such as MAGE, PRAME and NY-ESO-1 were identified as the most potent immunostimulatory agents. The immune response of those specific T cells against head and neck cancer cell lines was measured in ELISPOT assays. The influence of PD-1 and other immune checkpoints on the peptide-specific immune response was investigated with T cells from healthy donors in conjunction with HNSCC tumor cells. Especially the anti-PD-1 antibody is able to increase antigen-specific immune responses. The combination of anti-PD-1 and other checkpoint inhibitors, like LAG-3 or TIM-3, lead to little or no synergistic effects. Antigen-specific vaccination in combination with PD-1 checkpoint inhibition may therefore be a potential future therapeutic option in head and neck cancer to generate an enhanced anti-tumor immune response. Based on the study findings, an increase antigen-specific immune response by vaccinating the patient with a tumor-associated peptide in combination with anti-PD-1 antibody would be advantageous in HNSCC. Efforts into finding and developing new combination therapies should be further advanced. |
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| Item Description: | Gesehen am 21.05.2026 |
| Physical Description: | Online Resource |
| ISSN: | 2045-2322 |
| DOI: | 10.1038/s41598-026-38740-z |