650-Vascular STING Activation for NK Cell Immunity in SCLC

Paper Talk · Mar 16, 2026 · 21m

This research identifies small cell lung cancer (SCLC) as a "cold" tumor that evades the immune system by suppressing MHC-I expression and creating an inactive vascular barrier. While certain neuroendocrine cancer cells are highly vulnerable to Natural Killer (NK) cells, they remain protected because the tumor blood vessels fail to recruit these immune effectors. By utilizing a specialized 3D microphysiological model called DynaMITE-seq, researchers discovered that activating the STING signaling pathway within the tumor vasculature can restart immune cell trafficking. This vascular activation…