fig6

Figure 6. CI Cycle. ① Cancer cell death leads to the release of tumor antigens; ② DCs capture these antigens, process them, and present them on MHC molecules to T cells within TDLNs; ③ Naïve T cells recognize the antigens presented by DCs, become activated, and differentiate into Teff cells; ④ The activated T cells migrate from the TDLN through the bloodstream toward the site of the tumor; ⑤ The activated T cells extravasate across the endothelial barrier and infiltrate the TME; ⑥ The Teff cells recognize and bind to their specific antigens presented on the surface of cancer cells via MHC molecules; ⑦ The activated T cells release cytotoxic molecules that kill the target cancer cells, releasing more antigens and restarting the cycle. Created in BioRender. Wang, L. (2025) https://BioRender.com/aeg45x2. APCs: Antigen-presenting cells; CI Cycle: cancer-immunity cycle; DCs: dendritic cells; MHC: major histocompatibility complex; TDLNs: tumor-draining lymph nodes; Teff: effector T; TME: tumor microenvironment.