MAIT cells promote cancer progression and regulatory T cell accumulation in bladder tumor microenvironment.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Mucosa-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells represent a unique population of innate-like T lymphocytes capable of detecting non-peptide antigens in the context of monomorphic antigen-presenting molecules. Due to their abundance in barrier tissues, reactivity to local inflammatory cues, and cytotoxic and regulatory functions, MAIT cells are poised to shape the dynamics of various tumor microenvironments. Growing evidence suggests that MAIT cells can exert protumor and/or antitumor effects in cancers arising from or metastasizing to mucosal tissues. However, MAIT cell roles in bladder cancer (BCa) remains unclear.

Methods

To begin to identify MAIT cells in BCa, we stained bladder tumor biopsies for T cell receptor (TCR) Vα7.2⁺ cells. We then refined a huma

SUBMITTER: Habaz IA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12439135 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature