Plasma exosomes from Head and Neck Cancer Patients modulate Immune Checkpoint Receptors on T cells and attenuate the Efficacy of Immunotherapy in vitro

Introduction Head and neck carcinomas (HNCs) are highly immunosuppressive, which is partly mediated by exosomes. Specifically, tumor-derived exosomes impair T cell functions by dysregulating immune checkpoint (IC) signaling pathways, leading to cancer progression and tumor evasion. This study investigated the functional impact of exosomes from HNC patients on the IC profiles of T cells and their interference with IC inhibitors.