Once upon a prime: DCs shape cancer immunity

Cytotoxic CD8⁺ T cells are potent killers of diseased cells, but their functional capacity is often compromised in cancer. The quality of antitumor T cell immunity is determined during T cell priming in the lymph node and further influenced by the local microenvironment of the tumor. Increasing evidence indicates that dendritic cells (DCs) have the capacity to precisely regulate the functional quality of antitumor T cell responses in both locations. In this review, we discuss recent advances in our understanding of how distinct DC-derived signals influence CD8⁺ T cell differentiation and antitumor functions. Insight into the mechanisms of DC-mediated regulation of antitumor immunity could inspire the development of improved approaches to prevent and reverse T cell dysfunction in cancer.