Leveraging cDC1 biology and function for enhanced immunotherapy.

Enhancing cDC1 function may improve immunotherapy outcomes by overcoming tumor-induced suppression and boosting antitumor immune responses.

• Why it matters: cDC1s are crucial for effective antitumor immunity, but their activity is increasingly limited by immunosuppressive signals in the tumor microenvironment, affecting therapy success.
• What they did: The authors review molecular pathways, cellular phenotypes, and spatial features of cDC1s, and discuss strategies to expand, reprogram, or strengthen their interactions with immune cells in cancer.
• The result: Targeting cDC1 biology could improve cancer treatment efficacy and response durability by restoring their immune-promoting functions within tumors.