Mucosal-associated invariant T cell are rendered dysfunctional within the tumour microenvironment in HCC in a cell-contact dependent manner

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a major cause of cancer deaths worldwide and response rates to immunotherapy remain low. MAIT cells, innate-like T cells enriched in the liver, express cytolytic molecules and have therefore been attributed anti-tumour properties. In this study, we aim to decipher direct interactions between MAIT cells and HCC cells in order to unravel mechanisms of immune cell dysfunction within the tumour microenvironment in HCC.