Danger Dust

The researchers revealed how genes in tumors edit themselves to escape the immune system's detection. The study identifies, for the first time, the actual genes that are silenced by tumors, offering a roadmap for better immunotherapies.

The team found that tumors use epigenetic modification, particularly DNA methylation, to suppress genes involved in the innate immune response—the body's first line of defense against pathogens and disease.

This silencing is how most tumors evade current immunotherapies, such as CAR-T cells and checkpoint inhibitors. However, the scientists also found that the FDA-approved drug decitabine, a chemotherapy that slows cancer cell growth, can reverse these gene edits.