Why targeting TREGS is hard

Cancer is a disease caused by the uncontrolled growth of cells that escape the body’s natural defenses. One way cancer protects itself is by taking advantage of certain immune cells called regulatory T cells, or Tregs. Normally, Tregs help prevent autoimmune diseases by controlling the immune system. But inside tumors, they behave differently. Instead of defending the body, they suppress the immune cells that could attack the cancer. Many cancer treatments aim to activate the immune system to fight tumors more effectively. However, the presence of Tregs within the tumor makes this difficult. These cells act like bodyguards for the cancer, blocking the immune response that might otherwise slow or stop tumor growth. Researchers have tried to eliminate Tregs by targeting a protein called CD25, found on their surface. However, earlier efforts often failed because these treatments also interfere with interleukin-2 (IL-2), a molecule that is essential for other immune cells to function. Blocking IL-2 weakens the entire immune response, limiting the treatment’s effectiveness. To overcome this challenge, scientists recently developed a new antibody called 2B010. This study, titled “A novel anti-human CD25 mAb with preferential reactivity to activated T regulatory cells depletes them from the tumor microenvironment,” was published in Oncotarget (Volume 16). Full blog - https://www.oncotarget.org/2025/11/19/new-antibody-removes-tregs-to-boost-immune-response-against-cancer/ Paper DOI - https://doi.org/10.18632/oncotarget.28752 Correspondence to - Ethan M. Shevach - eshevach@Niaid.NIH.gov Abstract video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NJcGsI7WXA Sign up for free Altmetric alerts about this article - https://oncotarget.altmetric.com/details/email_updates?id=10.18632%2Foncotarget.28752 Subscribe for free publication alerts from Oncotarget - https://www.oncotarget.com/subscribe/ Keywords - cancer, Treg, CD25, TME, mAb, GVHD To learn more about Oncotarget, please visit https://www.oncotarget.com and connect with us: Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Oncotarget/ X - https://twitter.com/oncotarget Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/oncotargetjrnl/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@OncotargetJournal LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/oncotarget Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/oncotarget/ Reddit - https://www.reddit.com/user/Oncotarget/ Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/0gRwT6BqYWJzxzmjPJwtVh MEDIA@IMPACTJOURNALS.COM