New Antibody Removes Tregs to Boost Immune Response Against Cancer

Nov 19, 2025

Cancer's sneaky Tregs protect tumors by suppressing immune responses. Traditional treatments struggle against these cells due to their interference with vital IL-2 levels. However, researchers have unveiled a game-changing antibody, 2B010, that selectively depletes Tregs without the IL-2 trade-off. In mouse models, this led to stronger immune activation and tumor stability. The findings suggest promising applications in combination with existing therapies to tackle treatment resistance and improve cancer outcomes.

Ask episode

AI Snips

Chapters

Transcript

Episode notes

INSIGHT

Selective Treg Targeting Preserves IL-2

Researchers developed 2B010, an antibody that binds CD25 on activated Tregs and spares IL-2 signaling.
This selectivity allows depletion of tumor Tregs without weakening overall immune function.

ANECDOTE

Antibody Found Via Mouse Immunization

Scientists immunized mice with human activated Tregs and screened resulting hybridomas.
One hybridoma, named 2B010, produced the CD25-binding antibody that stood out in tests.

INSIGHT

Enhanced Immune Activation Without Tumor Shrinkage

In a humanized mouse breast cancer model, 2B010 reduced intratumoral Tregs and increased CD8+ T cell activity.
Tumors did not shrink in that study, but immune activation improved locally and in the spleen.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Get the app

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