Cryoablation-induced immune response is dependent on functional STING signaling in cancer cells

What is it about?

Cryoablation is a procedure by which ultra-cold temperature is achieved via liquid nitrogen or argon gas, resulting in freezing of tissues such as bulky tumors and subsequent necrosis. Although cryoablation of tumors can induce a systemic antitumor immune response to cause regression of distant, non-cryoablated tumors - a phenomenon termed the abscopal effect - it has not been consistently achieved and the underlying molecular determinants have not been defined. In this article, we showed that STING signaling within tumor cells contribute critically to the antitumor immunity following cryoablation, supporting a new direction for developing tumor-intrinsic expression of functional STING signaling pathway as a potential biomarker of therapy response to cryoablation.

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