The Future of Everything The future of immunotherapy
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Nov 14, 2025 Lingyin Li, a Biochemistry professor at Stanford and breast cancer survivor, dives into the intriguing world of immunotherapy. She discusses her journey inspired by her own diagnosis and explains why T cells often struggle to target solid tumors. Lingyin reveals the groundbreaking discovery of the ENPP1 enzyme, which helps cancers evade immune detection. Her lab is working on innovative strategies to inhibit this enzyme, with promising preclinical results suggesting effective combinations for treating aggressive tumors. The future looks bright for immunotherapy!
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Diagnosis Sparked Research Focus
- Lingyin Li described her personal cancer diagnosis at age 30 as the motivation to focus on immunotherapy research.
- That experience led her to target solid tumors like breast cancer which initially didn't respond to immunotherapy.
T Cells Need Direct Contact
- Killer T cells must physically contact cancer cells to inject toxins and kill them.
- Solid tumors lack infiltrating T cells because the immune system often doesn't detect them.
Cytosolic DNA Triggers Immune Alerts
- Cancer cells leak DNA into the cytosol which innate sensors detect as abnormal.
- That detection triggers an immunotransmitter signal that alerts innate immune cells to tumors.