Germinating.

Top Line: A big reason the role of B-cells in cancer immunity is understudied is that their presence in the tumor microenvironment isn’t necessarily a good thing. 

The Study: That’s because B-cells can classically suppress T-cell mediated anti-tumor immunity. Two additional studies further explore the role of B-cell expression in melanoma and renal cell carcinoma. Like in sarcoma, they found that the presence of B-cells in mature tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS) were associated with improved response to immunotherapy and even survival. More fascinating, in addition to the presence of TLS prior to treatment, they found that the development of TLS during immunotherapy was also an important positive predictor of treatment response. So. The presence of B-cells in mature TLS within the tumor microenvironment likely represents an active, concerted immune response to the tumor that can be enhanced by immunotherapy. Could that response be further enhanced with B-cell targeted activation..? 

TBL: The formation of tertiary lymphoid structures within the tumor microenvironment of multiple tumor types leads to enhanced anti-tumor immunity and improved response to immunotherapy. | Cabrita, Nature 2020 and Helmink, Nature 2020