Architects of immunity: How dendritic cells shape CD8 + T cell fate in cancer

Immune responses against cancer are dominated by T cell exhaustion and dysfunction. Recent advances have underscored the critical role of early priming interactions in establishing T cell fates. In this review, we explore the importance of dendritic cell (DC) signals in specifying CD8 + T cell fates in cancer, drawing on insights from acute and chronic viral infection models. We highlight the role of DCs in lymph nodes and tumors in maintaining stem-like CD8 + T cells, which are critical for durable antitumor immune responses. Understanding how CD8 + T cell fates are determined will enable the rational design of immunotherapies, particularly therapeutic cancer vaccines, that can modulate DC–T cell interactions to generate beneficial CD8 + T cell fates.