Cracking the Code: Cancer Cells' Immune System Evasion Unveiled.

Scientists have discovered how cancer cells evade the immune system by developing a barrier called glycocalyx with high levels of cell-surface mucins. The thickness of the barrier affects the antitumor activity of immune cells or engineered cells used for immunotherapy. Researchers used scanning angle interference microscopy to measure the nanoscale dimensions of the cancer cell glycocalyx and engineered immune cells that can get through the barrier, which could enhance current cell-based immunotherapies.