Investigators identify a metabolic weak point in exhausted immune cells in head and neck cancer

Immune cells can reach head and neck tumors, but once there, many stop functioning. This helps explain why immunotherapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors—which have transformed treatment for some cancers—benefits only 17%–23% of patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. These are cancers that arise from cells lining the mouth, throat and voice box.

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