title: Selection bias: maintaining less-differentiated T cells for adoptive immunotherapy.
abstract: The clinical application of T cell immunotherapy depends on ex vivo modification and expansion of T cells for adoptive transfer. In preclinical models, the use of a purified, naive T cell subset enhances persistence and antitumor immunity; however, the majority of clinical studies rely on modification of mixed populations of T cells that contain only a small subset of highly functional T cells with less-differentiated phenotype. In this month's issue of the JCI, Klebanoff and colleagues uncover a Fas-mediated interaction between naive T cells and antigen-experienced T cells that drives differentiation and impairs adoptive immunotherapy. Further, they show that blockade of Fas signaling enhances antitumor immunity and increases survival in a mouse model of melanoma. Their work supports a growing body of evidence that the use of naive T cells enhances the efficacy of adoptive T cell therapy and suggests a new therapeutic strategy for preserving less-differentiated T cell populations.
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Gianpietro
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dotti
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D007156:Immunologic Memory; D016219:Immunotherapy, Adoptive; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*