STAT+: Cancer cells can ‘barf’ proteins onto their cell surface. That may create new targets for immunotherapies
Why it matters: Surface Src could give immunotherapy a fresh foothold against hard‑to‑treat solid cancers.
- Jim Wells (UCSF) identified surface‑exposed Src on cancer cells, a protein normally intracellular (per Science).
- Kathleen Yates (Broad Institute) calls the result “provocative and exciting” but notes it’s too early to gauge clinical benefit.
- The study suggests a potential new immunotherapy target for solid tumors, yet real‑world application still requires validation.
UCSF biologist Jim Wells discovered that the intracellular Src kinase appears on the surface of malignant cells, a finding reported in Science that could open a new class of immunotherapy targets for solid tumors. Broad Institute’s Kathleen Yates praises the breakthrough but cautions that translational impact remains uncertain.
