Despite its efficacy and widespread use, radiation therapy is often associated with local or distal tumor relapse. We have recently found that CD8+ T cells and their cytokines are essential for maintaining irradiated neoplasms under control. In line with this notion, enhancing T-cell functions by means of immune checkpoint inhibitors can tilt the balance toward tumor rejection.
Keywords: PD-L1; T cells; equilibrium; radiation; tumor recurrence.