Exhausted CD8+ T cells with diminished effector functions accumulate in tumors. Here, the authors show that hypoxia induces a suppressive phenotype in exhausted T cells and that interfering with hypoxia-mediated CD39 expression limits immunosuppression in the tumor and augments immunotherapy, resulting in arrest of tumor growth.
- Paolo D. A. Vignali
- Kristin DePeaux
- Greg M. Delgoffe
