A dual TGF-β-driven immunosuppressive mechanism controls T cell recruitment and expansion in metastatic colorectal cancer

Poor prognosis colorectal cancer (CRC) is linked to a TGF-β-activated tumor microenvironment that suppresses immune responses. Inhibiting TGF-β signaling promotes T cell infiltration and enhances immune checkpoint blockade effectiveness, highlighting a network of genetic programs that prevent effective immune responses and clonal expansion of T cells, ultimately enabling metastatic growth. Tumor microenvironment from lver metastass from colorectal cancer mouse tumor organoids under three different treatments plus controls. Different samples were analyzed: whole tumor microenvironment, t cells only and fibroblasts only.