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 anti-tumor 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 (TCR). These new findings reveal the complexity and diversification of Mertk in immune regulation and its implications to cancer therapeutics.