{
  "abstract": "Immunotherapy transformed cancer treatment, yet precise correlates of response remain to be defined. While intratumoral follicular helper like (Tfhl) CD4 T cells and IgG1+ B cells have been associated with improved outcomes to PD-1 blockade for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), their mechanisms contributing to response are unclear. To address this question, we developed a murine model of HCC and examined CD8, CD4 and B cell responses. Increasing CD4-help sensitizes mice to PD-1 blockade, in a CD4- and CD8-dependent manner. Tumor-specific CD4 T cells contained Tfhl and Th1 populations, and both Bcl6 and T-bet were required for efficacy. Antigen-specific B cells were essential for CD4-helper expansion, yet secretion of antibodies was not required for long-term survival. Thus, B cells are critical for effective immunotherapy, but secreted antibodies are not.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai"
  ],
  "article_type": "New results",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 23,
  "authors": [
    {
      "name": "A. Vaidya"
    },
    {
      "name": "E. Humblin"
    },
    {
      "name": "N. Prokhnevska"
    },
    {
      "name": "V. van der Heide"
    },
    {
      "name": "L. Binet"
    },
    {
      "name": "J. Harwood"
    },
    {
      "name": "R. Mattiuz"
    },
    {
      "name": "A. Lozano"
    },
    {
      "name": "P. Hamon"
    },
    {
      "name": "B. Cogliati"
    },
    {
      "name": "S. Goldstein"
    },
    {
      "name": "I. Korpas"
    },
    {
      "name": "K. E. Lindblad"
    },
    {
      "name": "S. Sriram"
    },
    {
      "name": "H. Hartweger"
    },
    {
      "name": "G. Furtado"
    },
    {
      "name": "S. Gnjatic"
    },
    {
      "name": "E. Gonzalez-Kozlova"
    },
    {
      "name": "B. R. Rosenberg"
    },
    {
      "name": "A. Lujambio"
    },
    {
      "name": "M. Merad"
    },
    {
      "name": "M. C. Nussenzweig"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "A. O. Kamphorst"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/37ep34p2hd10x.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.64898/2026.09.18.751292",
  "fulltext_url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.18.751292v1.full",
  "id": "37ep34p2hd10x",
  "issns": [],
  "landing_url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.18.751292v1",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY",
  "licence_label": "CC BY",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "biorxiv",
      "immunology"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "2730|Cancer Immunotherapy and Biomarkers"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7214189763",
  "pdf_url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.18.751292v1.full.pdf",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-09-18",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/37ep34p2hd10x.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:24:23Z",
      "native_id": "10.64898/2026.09.18.751292",
      "source": "biorxiv",
      "url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.18.751292v1"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biology",
      "origin": "biorxiv:immunology",
      "subfield": "immunology"
    }
  ],
  "title": "B cells sustain tumor-specific CD4 T cells to promote response to PD-1 targeted therapy",
  "title_text": "B cells sustain tumor-specific CD4 T cells to promote response to PD-1 targeted therapy",
  "type": "preprint",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:24:23Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/37ep34p2hd10x",
  "venue": "bioRxiv",
  "versions": []
}