IMMUNOLOGY2026™ Conference Recordings For Attendees-CD4+ T cell-mediated Immune Surveillance during Intestinal Tumor Initiation

CD4+ T cell-mediated Immune Surveillance during Intestinal Tumor Initiation

Video Transcription

Video Summary

This talk described how the immune system responds during the earliest stage of intestinal tumor formation. Using a mouse model of APC loss in LGR5+ intestinal stem cells, the speaker profiled early adenomas by single-cell sequencing and found that CD4 T cells, especially Th1-like TBET+ cells, were the main immune cells infiltrating the tumor niche, while CD8 T cells showed little change. These CD4 T cells directly interacted with transformed stem cells and pushed them toward a fetal-like stem cell state marked by genes such as Clu, a program linked to worse colorectal cancer outcomes. This fetal-like state may help tumors exclude T cells, meaning the CD4 response may paradoxically promote immune evasion. The group also developed a specialized “CD4 mouse” tool to study these stem-cell–T cell interactions more precisely. The work suggests that early immune responses can actively shape tumor evolution, not just fight it.

Meta Tag

Date April 15, 2026 3:00 PM - 3:15 PM

Room 156

Session T Cells in Cancer I

Speaker Kelly McGovern

Track Tumor Immunology: Cellular Responses and Tumor Microenvironment (TIME)

Year 2026

Keywords

intestinal tumor formation

CD4 T cells

Th1-like TBET+ cells

fetal-like stem cell state

immune evasion

April 15, 2026 3:00 PM - 3:15 PM

156

T Cells in Cancer I

Kelly McGovern

Tumor Immunology: Cellular Responses and Tumor Microenvironment (TIME)

2026