Claudin 18 turns up the heat in cancer

A major barrier to antitumor immunity in solid tumors is T cell exclusion. In this issue of Immunity, De Sanctis et al.1 elucidate how CLDN18 on pancreatic and lung cancer cells enhances infiltration, immunological synapse formation, and activation of cytotoxic T lymphocytes. A major barrier to antitumor immunity in solid tumors is T cell exclusion. In this issue of Immunity, De Sanctis et al. elucidate how CLDN18 on pancreatic and lung cancer cells enhances infiltration, immunological synapse formation, and activation of cytotoxic T lymphocytes.