# MSK study links MEK signaling to T cell exhaustion in cancer immunotherapy

_Monday, July 27, 2026 at 4:17 PM EDT · Science · Latest · Tier 2 — Notable_

![MSK study links MEK signaling to T cell exhaustion in cancer immunotherapy — Primary](https://scitechdaily.com/images/T-Cells-Fight-Cancer-Immunotherapy.jpg)

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center researchers report in Immunity that the signaling molecule MEK helps drive T cell exhaustion, a state in which cancer-fighting T cells lose sustained attack capacity during immunotherapy.

Physician-scientist Santosha Vardhana and colleagues found that repeated exposure to tumor antigens places heavy metabolic demand on T cell mitochondria, and that MEK regulates production of cancer-killing proteins. Excessive MEK activity can push cells into terminal exhaustion that checkpoint inhibitors can no longer reverse. In animal work, inhibiting MEK helped prevent some T cells from becoming fully exhausted.

The team said FDA-approved MEK inhibitors already exist, so combination approaches could be tested in people without long drug-development delays. SciTechDaily summarized the MSK study, which carries DOI 10.1016/j.immuni.2026.06.012 and was supported by NCI and other awards.

## Sources

- [SciTechDaily](https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-find-a-way-to-keep-cancer-fighting-t-cells-from-burning-out/)

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Retrieved: 2026-07-29T06:17:42.548Z
Publisher: Tech & Business (techandbusiness.org)