DNA-PKcs Dysfunction Enhances the Antitumor Activity of Radioimmunotherapy by Activating the cGAS-STING Pathway in HNSCC.

Summary: Head and neck cancer can be hard to treat. Doctors often use radiation and a medicine that helps the immune system fight the cancer. But radiation can cause cancer cells to fix their own DNA, which makes the treatment stop working. In a new study on mice, scientists used a special drug to block the cancer cells from fixing their DNA. When they added this drug to the regular treatment, it helped the immune system send more cancer-fighting cells into the tumor. The mice lived longer, and their tumors shrank more. This new mix of treatments looks very promising for fighting head and neck cancer!