Immune checkpoint inhibitors are a mainstay of cancer treatment, but they can cause colitis as a serious side effect. Researchers at MD Anderson Cancer Center have now identified a previously unknown role for B cells, a type of adaptive immune cell, in both triggering and sustaining this colitis.
The finding shifts attention beyond T cells, which have been the usual focus in immune-related side effects. Understanding how B cells drive colitis could offer a practical way to gauge patient risk before or during immunotherapy.
While the study is still early, the researchers suggest that B cells may serve as a predictive marker for colitis. If confirmed in further studies, that could help clinicians weigh the benefits of checkpoint inhibitors against the likelihood of severe gastrointestinal toxicity.