Mertk signaling and immune regulation in T cells

While widely viewed as inhibitory receptors that drive efferocytosis and immune resolution on myeloid cells, TAM family members, particularly Mertk, have emerged as promising targets in immune-oncology to help stimulate host antitumor immunity. A recent study shows that Mertk expressed on human T cells, including CD8+ T cells and differentiated central memory T cells, has a co-stimulatory function for the T Cell Receptor. These new findings reveal the complexity and diversification of Mertk in immune regulation and its implications to cancer therapeutics.