CINXE.COM

<!DOCTYPE html> <html lang="en-US"> <head> <meta charset="UTF-8"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1"> <link rel="profile" href="https://gmpg.org/xfn/11"> <link rel="pingback" href="https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/xmlrpc.php"> <meta name='robots' content='index, follow, max-image-preview:large, max-snippet:-1, max-video-preview:-1' /> <style>img:is([sizes="auto" i], [sizes^="auto," i]) { contain-intrinsic-size: 3000px 1500px }</style>  <title>Researchers Discover Role of PD-1 in Driving Growth of Merkel Cell Carcinoma - Brigham On a Mission</title> <meta name="description" content="In a study published in Science Advances, investigators reported for the first time that Merkel cell carcinoma cells express programmed cell death 1 (PD-1)." /> <link rel="canonical" href="https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/2024/04/11/researchers-discover-role-of-pd-1-in-driving-growth-of-merkel-cell-carcinoma/" /> <meta property="og:locale" content="en_US" /> <meta property="og:type" content="article" /> <meta property="og:title" content="Researchers Discover Role of PD-1 in Driving Growth of Merkel Cell Carcinoma - Brigham On a Mission" /> <meta property="og:description" content="In a study published in Science Advances, investigators reported for the first time that Merkel cell carcinoma cells express programmed cell death 1 (PD-1)." /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/2024/04/11/researchers-discover-role-of-pd-1-in-driving-growth-of-merkel-cell-carcinoma/" /> <meta property="og:site_name" content="Brigham On a Mission" /> <meta property="article:publisher" content="https://www.facebook.com/BrighamandWomensHospital" /> <meta property="article:published_time" content="2024-04-11T13:08:12+00:00" /> <meta property="article:modified_time" content="2024-05-03T13:25:14+00:00" /> <meta property="og:image" content="https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/mcell-300x225-1.jpg" /> <meta property="og:image:width" content="352" /> <meta property="og:image:height" content="245" /> <meta property="og:image:type" content="image/jpeg" /> <meta name="author" content="Lizzy Luther-Kurtis" /> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image" /> <meta name="twitter:creator" content="@BrighamWomens" /> <meta name="twitter:site" content="@BrighamWomens" /> <meta name="twitter:label1" content="Written by" /> <meta name="twitter:data1" content="Lizzy Luther-Kurtis" /> <meta name="twitter:label2" content="Est. reading time" /> <meta name="twitter:data2" content="4 minutes" /> <script type="application/ld+json" class="yoast-schema-graph">{"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/2024/04/11/researchers-discover-role-of-pd-1-in-driving-growth-of-merkel-cell-carcinoma/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/2024/04/11/researchers-discover-role-of-pd-1-in-driving-growth-of-merkel-cell-carcinoma/"},"author":{"name":"Lizzy Luther-Kurtis","@id":"https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/#/schema/person/81a9a84f076291e7a58521aeb732ba17"},"headline":"Researchers Discover Role of PD-1 in Driving Growth of Merkel Cell Carcinoma","datePublished":"2024-04-11T13:08:12+00:00","dateModified":"2024-05-03T13:25:14+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/2024/04/11/researchers-discover-role-of-pd-1-in-driving-growth-of-merkel-cell-carcinoma/"},"wordCount":664,"publisher":{"@id":"https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/2024/04/11/researchers-discover-role-of-pd-1-in-driving-growth-of-merkel-cell-carcinoma/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/mcell-300x225-1.jpg","articleSection":["Cancer"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/2024/04/11/researchers-discover-role-of-pd-1-in-driving-growth-of-merkel-cell-carcinoma/","url":"https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/2024/04/11/researchers-discover-role-of-pd-1-in-driving-growth-of-merkel-cell-carcinoma/","name":"Researchers Discover Role of PD-1 in Driving Growth of Merkel Cell Carcinoma - Brigham On a Mission","isPartOf":{"@id":"https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/2024/04/11/researchers-discover-role-of-pd-1-in-driving-growth-of-merkel-cell-carcinoma/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/2024/04/11/researchers-discover-role-of-pd-1-in-driving-growth-of-merkel-cell-carcinoma/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/mcell-300x225-1.jpg","datePublished":"2024-04-11T13:08:12+00:00","dateModified":"2024-05-03T13:25:14+00:00","description":"In a study published in Science Advances, investigators reported for the first time that Merkel cell carcinoma cells express programmed cell death 1 (PD-1).","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/2024/04/11/researchers-discover-role-of-pd-1-in-driving-growth-of-merkel-cell-carcinoma/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/2024/04/11/researchers-discover-role-of-pd-1-in-driving-growth-of-merkel-cell-carcinoma/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/2024/04/11/researchers-discover-role-of-pd-1-in-driving-growth-of-merkel-cell-carcinoma/#primaryimage","url":"https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/mcell-300x225-1.jpg","contentUrl":"https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/mcell-300x225-1.jpg","width":352,"height":245},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/2024/04/11/researchers-discover-role-of-pd-1-in-driving-growth-of-merkel-cell-carcinoma/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Researchers Discover Role of PD-1 in Driving Growth of Merkel Cell Carcinoma"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/#website","url":"https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/","name":"Brigham On a Mission","description":"Latest Clinical & Research News","publisher":{"@id":"https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/#organization","name":"Brigham and Women's Hospital","url":"https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/#/schema/logo/image/","url":"https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/cropped-icon.jpg","contentUrl":"https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/cropped-icon.jpg","width":200,"height":199,"caption":"Brigham and Women's Hospital"},"image":{"@id":"https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/#/schema/logo/image/"},"sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/BrighamandWomensHospital","https://x.com/BrighamWomens","https://www.instagram.com/brighamandwomens/","https://www.linkedin.com/company/brigham-and-women's-hospital/","https://www.youtube.com/user/Brighamandwomens"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/#/schema/person/81a9a84f076291e7a58521aeb732ba17","name":"Lizzy Luther-Kurtis"}]}</script>  <link rel='dns-prefetch' href='//stats.wp.com' /> <link rel='dns-prefetch' href='//fonts.googleapis.com' /> <link rel='dns-prefetch' href='//jetpack.wordpress.com' /> <link rel='dns-prefetch' href='//s0.wp.com' /> <link rel='dns-prefetch' href='//public-api.wordpress.com' /> <link rel='dns-prefetch' href='//0.gravatar.com' /> <link rel='dns-prefetch' href='//1.gravatar.com' /> <link rel='dns-prefetch' href='//2.gravatar.com' /> <link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" title="Brigham On a Mission » Feed" href="https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/feed/" /> <link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" title="Brigham On a Mission » Comments Feed" href="https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/comments/feed/" /> <script type="text/javascript"> /* <![CDATA[ */ window._wpemojiSettings = {"baseUrl":"https:\/\/s.w.org\/images\/core\/emoji\/15.0.3\/72x72\/","ext":".png","svgUrl":"https:\/\/s.w.org\/images\/core\/emoji\/15.0.3\/svg\/","svgExt":".svg","source":{"concatemoji":"https:\/\/www.brighamhealthonamission.org\/wp-includes\/js\/wp-emoji-release.min.js?ver=6.7.1"}}; /*! This file is auto-generated */ !function(i,n){var o,s,e;function c(e){try{var t={supportTests:e,timestamp:(new Date).valueOf()};sessionStorage.setItem(o,JSON.stringify(t))}catch(e){}}function p(e,t,n){e.clearRect(0,0,e.canvas.width,e.canvas.height),e.fillText(t,0,0);var t=new Uint32Array(e.getImageData(0,0,e.canvas.width,e.canvas.height).data),r=(e.clearRect(0,0,e.canvas.width,e.canvas.height),e.fillText(n,0,0),new Uint32Array(e.getImageData(0,0,e.canvas.width,e.canvas.height).data));return t.every(function(e,t){return e===r[t]})}function u(e,t,n){switch(t){case"flag":return n(e,"\ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\u26a7\ufe0f","\ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200b\u26a7\ufe0f")?!1:!n(e,"\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf3","\ud83c\uddfa\u200b\ud83c\uddf3")&&!n(e,"\ud83c\udff4\udb40\udc67\udb40\udc62\udb40\udc65\udb40\udc6e\udb40\udc67\udb40\udc7f","\ud83c\udff4\u200b\udb40\udc67\u200b\udb40\udc62\u200b\udb40\udc65\u200b\udb40\udc6e\u200b\udb40\udc67\u200b\udb40\udc7f");case"emoji":return!n(e,"\ud83d\udc26\u200d\u2b1b","\ud83d\udc26\u200b\u2b1b")}return!1}function f(e,t,n){var r="undefined"!=typeof WorkerGlobalScope&&self instanceof WorkerGlobalScope?new OffscreenCanvas(300,150):i.createElement("canvas"),a=r.getContext("2d",{willReadFrequently:!0}),o=(a.textBaseline="top",a.font="600 32px Arial",{});return e.forEach(function(e){o[e]=t(a,e,n)}),o}function t(e){var t=i.createElement("script");t.src=e,t.defer=!0,i.head.appendChild(t)}"undefined"!=typeof Promise&&(o="wpEmojiSettingsSupports",s=["flag","emoji"],n.supports={everything:!0,everythingExceptFlag:!0},e=new Promise(function(e){i.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded",e,{once:!0})}),new Promise(function(t){var n=function(){try{var e=JSON.parse(sessionStorage.getItem(o));if("object"==typeof e&&"number"==typeof e.timestamp&&(new Date).valueOf()<e.timestamp+604800&&"object"==typeof e.supportTests)return e.supportTests}catch(e){}return null}();if(!n){if("undefined"!=typeof Worker&&"undefined"!=typeof OffscreenCanvas&&"undefined"!=typeof URL&&URL.createObjectURL&&"undefined"!=typeof Blob)try{var e="postMessage("+f.toString()+"("+[JSON.stringify(s),u.toString(),p.toString()].join(",")+"));",r=new Blob([e],{type:"text/javascript"}),a=new Worker(URL.createObjectURL(r),{name:"wpTestEmojiSupports"});return void(a.onmessage=function(e){c(n=e.data),a.terminate(),t(n)})}catch(e){}c(n=f(s,u,p))}t(n)}).then(function(e){for(var t in e)n.supports[t]=e[t],n.supports.everything=n.supports.everything&&n.supports[t],"flag"!==t&&(n.supports.everythingExceptFlag=n.supports.everythingExceptFlag&&n.supports[t]);n.supports.everythingExceptFlag=n.supports.everythingExceptFlag&&!n.supports.flag,n.DOMReady=!1,n.readyCallback=function(){n.DOMReady=!0}}).then(function(){return e}).then(function(){var e;n.supports.everything||(n.readyCallback(),(e=n.source||{}).concatemoji?t(e.concatemoji):e.wpemoji&&e.twemoji&&(t(e.twemoji),t(e.wpemoji)))}))}((window,document),window._wpemojiSettings); /* ]]> */ </script> <style id='wp-emoji-styles-inline-css' type='text/css'> img.wp-smiley, img.emoji { display: inline !important; border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; height: 1em !important; width: 1em !important; margin: 0 0.07em !important; vertical-align: -0.1em !important; background: none !important; padding: 0 !important; } </style> <link rel='stylesheet' id='wp-block-library-css' href='https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/wp-includes/css/dist/block-library/style.min.css?ver=6.7.1' type='text/css' media='all' /> <link rel='stylesheet' id='mediaelement-css' href='https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/wp-includes/js/mediaelement/mediaelementplayer-legacy.min.css?ver=4.2.17' type='text/css' media='all' /> <link rel='stylesheet' id='wp-mediaelement-css' href='https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/wp-includes/js/mediaelement/wp-mediaelement.min.css?ver=6.7.1' type='text/css' media='all' /> <style id='jetpack-sharing-buttons-style-inline-css' type='text/css'> .jetpack-sharing-buttons__services-list{display:flex;flex-direction:row;flex-wrap:wrap;gap:0;list-style-type:none;margin:5px;padding:0}.jetpack-sharing-buttons__services-list.has-small-icon-size{font-size:12px}.jetpack-sharing-buttons__services-list.has-normal-icon-size{font-size:16px}.jetpack-sharing-buttons__services-list.has-large-icon-size{font-size:24px}.jetpack-sharing-buttons__services-list.has-huge-icon-size{font-size:36px}@media print{.jetpack-sharing-buttons__services-list{display:none!important}}.editor-styles-wrapper .wp-block-jetpack-sharing-buttons{gap:0;padding-inline-start:0}ul.jetpack-sharing-buttons__services-list.has-background{padding:1.25em 2.375em} </style> <style id='classic-theme-styles-inline-css' type='text/css'> /*! This file is auto-generated */ .wp-block-button__link{color:#fff;background-color:#32373c;border-radius:9999px;box-shadow:none;text-decoration:none;padding:calc(.667em + 2px) calc(1.333em + 2px);font-size:1.125em}.wp-block-file__button{background:#32373c;color:#fff;text-decoration:none} </style> <style id='global-styles-inline-css' type='text/css'> :root{--wp--preset--aspect-ratio--square: 1;--wp--preset--aspect-ratio--4-3: 4/3;--wp--preset--aspect-ratio--3-4: 3/4;--wp--preset--aspect-ratio--3-2: 3/2;--wp--preset--aspect-ratio--2-3: 2/3;--wp--preset--aspect-ratio--16-9: 16/9;--wp--preset--aspect-ratio--9-16: 9/16;--wp--preset--color--black: #000000;--wp--preset--color--cyan-bluish-gray: #abb8c3;--wp--preset--color--white: #ffffff;--wp--preset--color--pale-pink: #f78da7;--wp--preset--color--vivid-red: #cf2e2e;--wp--preset--color--luminous-vivid-orange: #ff6900;--wp--preset--color--luminous-vivid-amber: #fcb900;--wp--preset--color--light-green-cyan: #7bdcb5;--wp--preset--color--vivid-green-cyan: #00d084;--wp--preset--color--pale-cyan-blue: #8ed1fc;--wp--preset--color--vivid-cyan-blue: #0693e3;--wp--preset--color--vivid-purple: #9b51e0;--wp--preset--gradient--vivid-cyan-blue-to-vivid-purple: linear-gradient(135deg,rgba(6,147,227,1) 0%,rgb(155,81,224) 100%);--wp--preset--gradient--light-green-cyan-to-vivid-green-cyan: linear-gradient(135deg,rgb(122,220,180) 0%,rgb(0,208,130) 100%);--wp--preset--gradient--luminous-vivid-amber-to-luminous-vivid-orange: linear-gradient(135deg,rgba(252,185,0,1) 0%,rgba(255,105,0,1) 100%);--wp--preset--gradient--luminous-vivid-orange-to-vivid-red: linear-gradient(135deg,rgba(255,105,0,1) 0%,rgb(207,46,46) 100%);--wp--preset--gradient--very-light-gray-to-cyan-bluish-gray: linear-gradient(135deg,rgb(238,238,238) 0%,rgb(169,184,195) 100%);--wp--preset--gradient--cool-to-warm-spectrum: linear-gradient(135deg,rgb(74,234,220) 0%,rgb(151,120,209) 20%,rgb(207,42,186) 40%,rgb(238,44,130) 60%,rgb(251,105,98) 80%,rgb(254,248,76) 100%);--wp--preset--gradient--blush-light-purple: linear-gradient(135deg,rgb(255,206,236) 0%,rgb(152,150,240) 100%);--wp--preset--gradient--blush-bordeaux: linear-gradient(135deg,rgb(254,205,165) 0%,rgb(254,45,45) 50%,rgb(107,0,62) 100%);--wp--preset--gradient--luminous-dusk: linear-gradient(135deg,rgb(255,203,112) 0%,rgb(199,81,192) 50%,rgb(65,88,208) 100%);--wp--preset--gradient--pale-ocean: linear-gradient(135deg,rgb(255,245,203) 0%,rgb(182,227,212) 50%,rgb(51,167,181) 100%);--wp--preset--gradient--electric-grass: linear-gradient(135deg,rgb(202,248,128) 0%,rgb(113,206,126) 100%);--wp--preset--gradient--midnight: linear-gradient(135deg,rgb(2,3,129) 0%,rgb(40,116,252) 100%);--wp--preset--font-size--small: 13px;--wp--preset--font-size--medium: 20px;--wp--preset--font-size--large: 36px;--wp--preset--font-size--x-large: 42px;--wp--preset--spacing--20: 0.44rem;--wp--preset--spacing--30: 0.67rem;--wp--preset--spacing--40: 1rem;--wp--preset--spacing--50: 1.5rem;--wp--preset--spacing--60: 2.25rem;--wp--preset--spacing--70: 3.38rem;--wp--preset--spacing--80: 5.06rem;--wp--preset--shadow--natural: 6px 6px 9px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2);--wp--preset--shadow--deep: 12px 12px 50px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.4);--wp--preset--shadow--sharp: 6px 6px 0px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2);--wp--preset--shadow--outlined: 6px 6px 0px -3px rgba(255, 255, 255, 1), 6px 6px rgba(0, 0, 0, 1);--wp--preset--shadow--crisp: 6px 6px 0px rgba(0, 0, 0, 1);}:where(.is-layout-flex){gap: 0.5em;}:where(.is-layout-grid){gap: 0.5em;}body .is-layout-flex{display: flex;}.is-layout-flex{flex-wrap: wrap;align-items: center;}.is-layout-flex > :is(*, div){margin: 0;}body .is-layout-grid{display: grid;}.is-layout-grid > :is(*, div){margin: 0;}:where(.wp-block-columns.is-layout-flex){gap: 2em;}:where(.wp-block-columns.is-layout-grid){gap: 2em;}:where(.wp-block-post-template.is-layout-flex){gap: 1.25em;}:where(.wp-block-post-template.is-layout-grid){gap: 1.25em;}.has-black-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--black) !important;}.has-cyan-bluish-gray-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--cyan-bluish-gray) !important;}.has-white-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--white) !important;}.has-pale-pink-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--pale-pink) !important;}.has-vivid-red-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--vivid-red) !important;}.has-luminous-vivid-orange-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--luminous-vivid-orange) !important;}.has-luminous-vivid-amber-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--luminous-vivid-amber) !important;}.has-light-green-cyan-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--light-green-cyan) !important;}.has-vivid-green-cyan-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--vivid-green-cyan) !important;}.has-pale-cyan-blue-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--pale-cyan-blue) !important;}.has-vivid-cyan-blue-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--vivid-cyan-blue) !important;}.has-vivid-purple-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--vivid-purple) !important;}.has-black-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--black) !important;}.has-cyan-bluish-gray-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--cyan-bluish-gray) !important;}.has-white-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--white) !important;}.has-pale-pink-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--pale-pink) !important;}.has-vivid-red-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--vivid-red) !important;}.has-luminous-vivid-orange-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--luminous-vivid-orange) !important;}.has-luminous-vivid-amber-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--luminous-vivid-amber) !important;}.has-light-green-cyan-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--light-green-cyan) !important;}.has-vivid-green-cyan-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--vivid-green-cyan) !important;}.has-pale-cyan-blue-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--pale-cyan-blue) !important;}.has-vivid-cyan-blue-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--vivid-cyan-blue) !important;}.has-vivid-purple-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--vivid-purple) !important;}.has-black-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--black) !important;}.has-cyan-bluish-gray-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--cyan-bluish-gray) !important;}.has-white-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--white) !important;}.has-pale-pink-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--pale-pink) !important;}.has-vivid-red-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--vivid-red) !important;}.has-luminous-vivid-orange-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--luminous-vivid-orange) !important;}.has-luminous-vivid-amber-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--luminous-vivid-amber) !important;}.has-light-green-cyan-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--light-green-cyan) !important;}.has-vivid-green-cyan-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--vivid-green-cyan) !important;}.has-pale-cyan-blue-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--pale-cyan-blue) !important;}.has-vivid-cyan-blue-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--vivid-cyan-blue) !important;}.has-vivid-purple-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--vivid-purple) !important;}.has-vivid-cyan-blue-to-vivid-purple-gradient-background{background: var(--wp--preset--gradient--vivid-cyan-blue-to-vivid-purple) !important;}.has-light-green-cyan-to-vivid-green-cyan-gradient-background{background: var(--wp--preset--gradient--light-green-cyan-to-vivid-green-cyan) !important;}.has-luminous-vivid-amber-to-luminous-vivid-orange-gradient-background{background: var(--wp--preset--gradient--luminous-vivid-amber-to-luminous-vivid-orange) !important;}.has-luminous-vivid-orange-to-vivid-red-gradient-background{background: var(--wp--preset--gradient--luminous-vivid-orange-to-vivid-red) !important;}.has-very-light-gray-to-cyan-bluish-gray-gradient-background{background: var(--wp--preset--gradient--very-light-gray-to-cyan-bluish-gray) !important;}.has-cool-to-warm-spectrum-gradient-background{background: var(--wp--preset--gradient--cool-to-warm-spectrum) !important;}.has-blush-light-purple-gradient-background{background: var(--wp--preset--gradient--blush-light-purple) !important;}.has-blush-bordeaux-gradient-background{background: var(--wp--preset--gradient--blush-bordeaux) !important;}.has-luminous-dusk-gradient-background{background: var(--wp--preset--gradient--luminous-dusk) !important;}.has-pale-ocean-gradient-background{background: var(--wp--preset--gradient--pale-ocean) !important;}.has-electric-grass-gradient-background{background: var(--wp--preset--gradient--electric-grass) !important;}.has-midnight-gradient-background{background: var(--wp--preset--gradient--midnight) !important;}.has-small-font-size{font-size: var(--wp--preset--font-size--small) !important;}.has-medium-font-size{font-size: var(--wp--preset--font-size--medium) !important;}.has-large-font-size{font-size: var(--wp--preset--font-size--large) !important;}.has-x-large-font-size{font-size: var(--wp--preset--font-size--x-large) !important;} :where(.wp-block-post-template.is-layout-flex){gap: 1.25em;}:where(.wp-block-post-template.is-layout-grid){gap: 1.25em;} :where(.wp-block-columns.is-layout-flex){gap: 2em;}:where(.wp-block-columns.is-layout-grid){gap: 2em;} :root :where(.wp-block-pullquote){font-size: 1.5em;line-height: 1.6;} </style> <link rel='stylesheet' id='widgetopts-styles-css' href='https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/wp-content/plugins/widget-options/assets/css/widget-options.css?ver=4.0.8' type='text/css' media='all' /> <link crossorigin="anonymous" rel='stylesheet' id='paulie-webfont-css' href='https://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Montserrat%3A400%2C700%7CSource+Code+Pro%3A300%2C400%2C700&subset=latin' type='text/css' media='all' /> <link rel='stylesheet' id='paulie-style-css' href='https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/wp-content/themes/paulie/style.css?ver=6.7.1' type='text/css' media='all' /> <link rel='stylesheet' id='paulie-iconfont-css' href='https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/wp-content/themes/paulie/css/font-awesome.css?ver=6.7.1' type='text/css' media='all' /> <link rel='stylesheet' id='sharedaddy-css' href='https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/wp-content/plugins/jetpack/modules/sharedaddy/sharing.css?ver=14.0' type='text/css' media='all' /> <link rel='stylesheet' id='social-logos-css' href='https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/wp-content/plugins/jetpack/_inc/social-logos/social-logos.min.css?ver=14.0' type='text/css' media='all' /> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/wp-includes/js/jquery/jquery.min.js?ver=3.7.1" id="jquery-core-js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/wp-includes/js/jquery/jquery-migrate.min.js?ver=3.4.1" id="jquery-migrate-js"></script> <link rel="https://api.w.org/" href="https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/wp-json/" /><link rel="alternate" title="JSON" type="application/json" href="https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/7733" /><link rel="EditURI" type="application/rsd+xml" title="RSD" href="https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/xmlrpc.php?rsd" /> <meta name="generator" content="WordPress 6.7.1" /> <link rel='shortlink' href='https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/?p=7733' /> <link rel="alternate" title="oEmbed (JSON)" type="application/json+oembed" href="https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/wp-json/oembed/1.0/embed?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.brighamhealthonamission.org%2F2024%2F04%2F11%2Fresearchers-discover-role-of-pd-1-in-driving-growth-of-merkel-cell-carcinoma%2F" /> <link rel="alternate" title="oEmbed (XML)" type="text/xml+oembed" href="https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/wp-json/oembed/1.0/embed?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.brighamhealthonamission.org%2F2024%2F04%2F11%2Fresearchers-discover-role-of-pd-1-in-driving-growth-of-merkel-cell-carcinoma%2F&format=xml" /> <script type="text/javascript">//<![CDATA[ function external_links_in_new_windows_loop() { if (!document.links) { document.links = document.getElementsByTagName('a'); } var change_link = false; var force = ''; var ignore = ''; for (var t=0; t<document.links.length; t++) { var all_links = document.links[t]; change_link = false; if(document.links[t].hasAttribute('onClick') == false) { // forced if the address starts with http (or also https), but does not link to the current domain if(all_links.href.search(/^http/) != -1 && all_links.href.search('www.brighamhealthonamission.org') == -1 && all_links.href.search(/^#/) == -1) { // console.log('Changed ' + all_links.href); change_link = true; } if(force != '' && all_links.href.search(force) != -1) { // forced // console.log('force ' + all_links.href); change_link = true; } if(ignore != '' && all_links.href.search(ignore) != -1) { // console.log('ignore ' + all_links.href); // ignored change_link = false; } if(change_link == true) { // console.log('Changed ' + all_links.href); document.links[t].setAttribute('onClick', 'javascript:window.open(\'' + all_links.href.replace(/'/g, '') + '\', \'_blank\', \'noopener\'); return false;'); document.links[t].removeAttribute('target'); } } } } // Load function external_links_in_new_windows_load(func) { var oldonload = window.onload; if (typeof window.onload != 'function'){ window.onload = func; } else { window.onload = function(){ oldonload(); func(); } } } external_links_in_new_windows_load(external_links_in_new_windows_loop); //]]></script> <style>img#wpstats{display:none}</style> <style type="text/css"> .image-header { background-image: url("https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/cropped-oam-web-header.jpg"); margin-bottom: 0px; } @media (min-width: 768px) { .image-header { padding: 100px 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; min-height: 325px; } } #page .site-title, #page .site-description { position: absolute; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px); } </style> <link rel="icon" href="https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/mgb-favicon.png" sizes="32x32" /> <link rel="icon" href="https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/mgb-favicon.png" sizes="192x192" /> <link rel="apple-touch-icon" href="https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/mgb-favicon.png" /> <meta name="msapplication-TileImage" content="https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/mgb-favicon.png" /> <style type="text/css" id="wp-custom-css"> /*Hide Category Page Title*/ .category h1.page-title { display: none; } /* add space between each item */ .listing-item { display: block; margin-bottom: 10%; border-bottom: 2px solid; } /*match the blog feed style for title*/ .listing-item a.title { clear: both; font-family: 'Montserrat', Helvetica, sans-serif; text-transform: none; font-weight: 700; line-height: 1.5; color: #333; letter-spacing: 3px; display: block; margin: 40px 0 20px; font-size: 24px; font-size: 1.5rem; text-align: center; border-bottom-style: none; } /* hide the dash */ .listing-item .excerpt-dash { display: none; } /* add space to below the excerpt*/ .listing-item .excerpt { display: block; margin-bottom: 20px; } /* hide author info */ .author.vcard { display: none; } /* Social icon color */ .share-icon, h1.entry-title::after { background-color: #f6bd39 !important; } /* horizontal lines color */ h3::before, .widget-title { border-color: #f6bd39 !important; } .taxonomy-description { text-align: center; } .taxonomy-description p { font-size: 1.125rem; font-family: 'Montserrat', Helvetica, sans-serif; text-transform: uppercase; font-weight: 700; line-height: 3.5; letter-spacing: 3px; display: inline-block; border-bottom: 2px solid #f6bd39; } blockquote p, .comment-navigation a:hover, .navigation .nav-links .nav-previous:hover, .navigation .nav-links .nav-next:hover, input[type=text]:focus, input[type=email]:focus, input[type=password]:focus, textarea:focus, .jetpack_subscription_widget #subscribe-email input:focus, .single .entry-footer .entry-meta, .entry-summary a, .entry-content a, .comment-content a, a.comment-reply-link, .page-links a, .comment-list>li>.comment:before, .comment-list>li.trackback:before, .comment-list>li.pingback:before, .widget-title, #main div#jp-relatedposts div.jp-relatedposts-items .jp-relatedposts-post .jp-relatedposts-post-title a:hover { border-color: #936700; } body, b, strong, h1, h2, h3, h4, h5, h6, .nav-menu .sub-menu a, .nav-menu .sub-menu a:hover, .nav-menu .children a, .nav-menu .children a:hover, .page-title, .archive-title, .entry-title, .entry-title a, .entry-no-title a, .nav-menu li a, .nav-menu li a:hover, .widget-title, .menu-toggle { color: #6d6d6d; } .entry-summary a.more-link { font-family: 'Montserrat', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: 700; color: #000; display: table; padding: 6px 8px; text-decoration: none; text-align: center; border: none !important; outline: 0; background-color: transparent; margin: 0 auto; line-height: 1.5; margin-top: 20px; } #infinite-handle, .infinite-loader { position: absolute; bottom: 30px; right: 0; left: 0; text-align: center; } .nav-menu li a:hover, .nav-menu .current_page_item>a, .nav-menu .current-menu-item>a { border-color: #010d01; border-top-color: rgb(1, 13, 1); border-right-color: rgb(1, 13, 1); border-bottom-color: rgb(1, 13, 1); border-left-color: rgb(1, 13, 1); } .nav-menu .sub-menu, .nav-menu .sub-menu a:hover, .nav-menu .children, .nav-menu .children a:hover { background-color: #e5e5e5; } #colophon, .site-info { background-color: #f6bd39; } .sub-menu li:hover, .sub-menu a:hover{ color: #033A94 !important; } @media (min-width: 1200px){ .nav-menu li:not(.current_page_item) a:not(:hover), .nav-menu li:not(.current_page_item) a:not(:hover) { border-top-color: transparent; }} @media (max-width:768px){ .nav-menu li a:hover, .nav-menu .current_page_item > a, .nav-menu .current-menu-item > a { color: #fff; background-color: #f6bd39 !important; } } body, h1, h2, h3, h4, h5, h6 { font-family: 'Montserrat', Helvetica, sans-serif; } .entry-header a:hover { color: #f6bd39 !important; } </style> </head> <body data-rsssl=1 class="post-template-default single single-post postid-7733 single-format-standard"> <div id="page" class="hfeed site"> <section class="image-header textcenter-xs box"> <a href="https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/" class="site-logo-link" rel="home" itemprop="url"></a> <h1 class="site-title"><a href="https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/" rel="home">Brigham On a Mission</a></h1> <p class="site-description">Latest Clinical & Research News</p> </section> <header id="masthead" class="site-header" role="banner"> <div id="navbar" class="navbar"> <div class="container"> <h3 class="menu-toggle"><i class="fa fa-bars"></i><span class="screen-reader-text">Primary Menu</span></h3> <nav id="site-navigation" class="navigation main-navigation" role="navigation"> <div class="menu-primary-container"><ul id="menu-primary" class="nav-menu"><li id="menu-item-3567" class="menu-item menu-item-type-custom menu-item-object-custom menu-item-3567"><a href="/">Home</a></li> <li id="menu-item-3747" class="menu-item menu-item-type-custom menu-item-object-custom menu-item-has-children menu-item-3747"><a href="#">Specialties</a> <ul class="sub-menu"> <li id="menu-item-4907" class="menu-item menu-item-type-taxonomy menu-item-object-category menu-item-4907"><a href="https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/category/covid-19/">COVID-19</a></li> <li id="menu-item-3575" class="menu-item menu-item-type-taxonomy menu-item-object-category menu-item-3575"><a href="https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/category/diabetes-endocrinology/">Endocrinology</a></li> <li id="menu-item-3577" class="menu-item menu-item-type-taxonomy menu-item-object-category menu-item-3577"><a href="https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/category/gastroenterology-gi-surgery/">Gastroenterology & GI Surgery</a></li> <li id="menu-item-3578" class="menu-item menu-item-type-taxonomy menu-item-object-category menu-item-3578"><a href="https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/category/geriatrics/">Geriatric</a></li> <li id="menu-item-3574" class="menu-item menu-item-type-taxonomy menu-item-object-category menu-item-3574"><a href="https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/category/cardiology-heart/">Heart & Vascular</a></li> <li id="menu-item-3587" class="menu-item menu-item-type-taxonomy menu-item-object-category menu-item-3587"><a href="https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/category/neonatology/">Neonatology</a></li> <li id="menu-item-3580" class="menu-item menu-item-type-taxonomy menu-item-object-category menu-item-3580"><a href="https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/category/nephrology/">Nephrology</a></li> <li id="menu-item-3581" class="menu-item menu-item-type-taxonomy menu-item-object-category menu-item-3581"><a href="https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/category/neurology-neurosurgery/">Neurology & Neurosurgery</a></li> <li id="menu-item-3579" class="menu-item menu-item-type-taxonomy menu-item-object-category menu-item-3579"><a href="https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/category/gynecology/">OB/GYN</a></li> <li id="menu-item-3573" class="menu-item menu-item-type-taxonomy menu-item-object-category current-post-ancestor current-menu-parent current-post-parent menu-item-3573"><a href="https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/category/cancer/">Oncology</a></li> <li id="menu-item-3586" class="menu-item menu-item-type-taxonomy menu-item-object-category menu-item-3586"><a href="https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/category/orthopaedics/">Orthopaedic Surgery</a></li> <li id="menu-item-3576" class="menu-item menu-item-type-taxonomy menu-item-object-category menu-item-3576"><a href="https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/category/ear-nose-and-throat/">Otolaryngology</a></li> <li id="menu-item-3582" class="menu-item menu-item-type-taxonomy menu-item-object-category menu-item-3582"><a href="https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/category/psychiatry/">Psychiatry</a></li> <li id="menu-item-3583" class="menu-item menu-item-type-taxonomy menu-item-object-category menu-item-3583"><a href="https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/category/pulmonology/">Pulmonary & Thoracic Surgery</a></li> <li id="menu-item-3584" class="menu-item menu-item-type-taxonomy menu-item-object-category menu-item-3584"><a href="https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/category/rheumatology/">Rheumatology</a></li> <li id="menu-item-3585" class="menu-item menu-item-type-taxonomy menu-item-object-category menu-item-3585"><a href="https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/category/urology/">Urology</a></li> </ul> </li> <li id="menu-item-3572" class="menu-item menu-item-type-custom menu-item-object-custom menu-item-3572"><a href="http://brighamandwomens.org/medical-professionals/refer-a-patient">Refer a Patient</a></li> </ul></div> </nav> </div> </div> </header> <section id="content" class="site-content"> <div class="container"> <div class="row"> <div id="primary" class="content-area col-md-8"> <main id="main" class="site-main" role="main"> <article id="post-7733" class="post-7733 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-cancer"> <header class="entry-header"> <h1 class="entry-title textcenter-xs">Researchers Discover Role of PD-1 in Driving Growth of Merkel Cell Carcinoma</h1> <div class="entry-thumbnail"> <img width="352" height="245" src="https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/mcell-300x225-1.jpg" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" fetchpriority="high" srcset="https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/mcell-300x225-1.jpg 352w, https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/mcell-300x225-1-300x209.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 352px) 100vw, 352px" /> </div> </header> <div class="entry-content"> <p>Programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) is a critical protein in T cells, making it an important target for immune checkpoint inhibitor drugs. In recent years, research has revealed that some cancer cells also express PD-1.</p> <p>In a study published in <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adi2012" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Science Advances</em></a>, investigators reported for the first time that Merkel cell carcinoma cells express PD-1. Additionally, the team elucidated the molecular mechanisms by which PD-1 acts on the pathways that drive cell growth. This research has crucial implications for the potential development of new combination therapies for Merkel cell carcinoma, a rare, aggressive skin cancer that is difficult to treat.</p> <p>“Looking at the role of PD-1 in cancer cell growth is a new aspect that many people aren’t considering,” says <a href="https://schattonlab.bwh.harvard.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tobias Schatton, PharmD, PhD</a>, a member of the Department of Dermatology research faculty at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. “We think this might be an interesting avenue to explore for many types of cancer,” adds Dr. Schatton, who was the paper’s senior author.</p> <h2><strong>A Dual Role for PD-1 in Cancer Therapy</strong></h2> <p>Dr. Schatton’s lab was the first to show that PD-1 can be expressed in cancer cells. That study, published in <a href="https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(15)01104-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Cell</em></a> in 2015, focused on melanoma. Since then, PD-1 expression has been found in a number of different cancer cell types, including colorectal cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, liver cancer, and esophageal cancer.</p> <p>“With some cancers, PD-1 can be growth-promoting. With others, it can actually suppress growth,” Dr. Schatton says. “We’ve found that for Merkel cell carcinoma, PD-1 is growth-promoting and is expressed in cancer cells at levels that are much higher than what we’ve seen for any other cancer. Our findings suggest that the PD-1 inhibitors that are already used to treat Merkel cell carcinoma may be functioning on both of these levels鈥攏ot only as an immunotherapy but also directly inhibiting cancer cell growth.”</p> <p>PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors such as pembrolizumab and avelumab are the most common drug treatments for Merkel cell carcinoma. They are usually combined with surgery and/or radiation therapy. When these therapies don’t work, however, patients have few other options. Chemotherapy has traditionally been used, but it tends to have limited efficacy.</p> <h2><strong>Combining PD-1 Inhibitors With Other Drugs</strong></h2> <p>Discoveries in the Schatton lab suggested that certain targeted therapies may be efficacious when combined with PD-1 inhibitors.</p> <p>“We wanted to know, when PD-1 is expressed on the cancer cell, what does it actually do to the cell? This study provides exciting new mechanistic insights into how this all works,” Dr. Schatton says. “It also suggests that even in the absence of T cells, it may be possible to target PD-1 on Merkel cell carcinoma cells and have a therapeutic effect.”</p> <p>In the <em>Science Advances</em> paper, Dr. Schatton and his colleagues reported that the mTOR pathway is activated in PD-1-stimulated cells. Using the Seahorse technique as well as flow cytometry, the investigators learned that ligation of PD-1 or activation of the PD-1 receptor triggers reactive oxidative species. The research was done in established cell lines of Merkel cell carcinoma, in cells taken from Merkel cell carcinoma patients, and in mouse models implanted with Merkel cell carcinoma cells.</p> <p>“These findings suggest opportunities for using different types of combination therapies to treat Merkel cell carcinoma,” Dr. Schatton says. “These could involve using PD-1 inhibitors with mTOR inhibitors or combining PD-1 inhibitors with reagents that target reactive oxygen species. This could be a way to optimize therapy for many other types of cancer in addition to Merkel cell carcinoma.”</p> <p>He emphasizes that much more research is needed before these approaches can be studied in patients in clinical trials.</p> <p>The first author of the <em>Science Advances</em> paper was <a href="https://connects.catalyst.harvard.edu/Profiles/display/Person/195971" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Christina Martins, PhD</a>, a postdoctoral fellow in the Schatton lab. <a href="https://barthellab.bwh.harvard.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Steven Barthel, PhD</a>, an assistant professor of dermatology at the Brigham, also made important contributions to the work.</p> <figure id="attachment_7734" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-7734" style="width: 750px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" class="wp-image-7734 size-large" src="https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Merkel-cell-PD-1-expression-1024x216.jpg" alt="Merkel cell PD-1 expression" width="750" height="158" srcset="https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Merkel-cell-PD-1-expression-1024x216.jpg 1024w, https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Merkel-cell-PD-1-expression-300x63.jpg 300w, https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Merkel-cell-PD-1-expression-768x162.jpg 768w, https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Merkel-cell-PD-1-expression-1536x323.jpg 1536w, https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Merkel-cell-PD-1-expression-1000x211.jpg 1000w, https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Merkel-cell-PD-1-expression.jpg 1800w" sizes="(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-7734" class="wp-caption-text">Merkel cell PD-1 expression.</figcaption></figure> <div class="sharedaddy sd-sharing-enabled"><div class="robots-nocontent sd-block sd-social sd-social-icon sd-sharing"><h3 class="sd-title">Share this:</h3><div class="sd-content"><ul><li class="share-linkedin"><a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" data-shared="sharing-linkedin-7733" class="share-linkedin sd-button share-icon no-text" href="https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/2024/04/11/researchers-discover-role-of-pd-1-in-driving-growth-of-merkel-cell-carcinoma/?share=linkedin" target="_blank" title="Click to share on LinkedIn" ><span></span><span class="sharing-screen-reader-text">Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)</span></a></li><li class="share-twitter"><a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" data-shared="sharing-twitter-7733" class="share-twitter sd-button share-icon no-text" href="https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/2024/04/11/researchers-discover-role-of-pd-1-in-driving-growth-of-merkel-cell-carcinoma/?share=twitter" target="_blank" title="Click to share on Twitter" ><span></span><span class="sharing-screen-reader-text">Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)</span></a></li><li class="share-facebook"><a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" data-shared="sharing-facebook-7733" class="share-facebook sd-button share-icon no-text" href="https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/2024/04/11/researchers-discover-role-of-pd-1-in-driving-growth-of-merkel-cell-carcinoma/?share=facebook" target="_blank" title="Click to share on Facebook" ><span></span><span class="sharing-screen-reader-text">Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)</span></a></li><li class="share-print"><a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" data-shared="" class="share-print sd-button share-icon no-text" href="https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/2024/04/11/researchers-discover-role-of-pd-1-in-driving-growth-of-merkel-cell-carcinoma/#print" target="_blank" title="Click to print" ><span></span><span class="sharing-screen-reader-text">Click to print (Opens in new window)</span></a></li><li class="share-email"><a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" data-shared="" class="share-email sd-button share-icon no-text" href="mailto:?subject=%5BShared%20Post%5D%20Researchers%20Discover%20Role%20of%20PD-1%20in%20Driving%20Growth%20of%20Merkel%20Cell%20Carcinoma&body=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.brighamhealthonamission.org%2F2024%2F04%2F11%2Fresearchers-discover-role-of-pd-1-in-driving-growth-of-merkel-cell-carcinoma%2F&share=email" target="_blank" title="Click to email a link to a friend" data-email-share-error-title="Do you have email set up?" data-email-share-error-text="If you're having problems sharing via email, you might not have email set up for your browser. You may need to create a new email yourself." data-email-share-nonce="df2d2f3583" data-email-share-track-url="https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/2024/04/11/researchers-discover-role-of-pd-1-in-driving-growth-of-merkel-cell-carcinoma/?share=email"><span></span><span class="sharing-screen-reader-text">Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)</span></a></li><li class="share-end"></li></ul></div></div></div> </div> <footer class="entry-footer"> <div class="entry-meta textcenter-xs"> <span class="categories-links"><i class="fa fa-bookmark-o"></i><a href="https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/category/cancer/" rel="category tag">Cancer</a></span><span class="author vcard"><i class="fa fa-diamond"></i><a class="url fn n" href="https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/author/lizzy/" title="View all posts by Lizzy Luther-Kurtis" rel="author">Lizzy Luther-Kurtis</a></span><span class="post-comments"><i class="fa fa-heart-o"></i><span class="comments-link">Comments off</span></span> </div> </footer> </article> <nav class="navigation post-navigation" aria-label="Posts"> <h2 class="screen-reader-text">Post navigation</h2> <div class="nav-links"><div class="nav-previous"><a href="https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/2024/04/10/new-research-uncovers-biological-drivers-of-heart-disease-risk/" rel="prev">New Research Uncovers Biological Drivers of Heart Disease Risk</a></div><div class="nav-next"><a href="https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/2024/04/15/advancing-the-understanding-of-bariatric-surgery-outcomes/" rel="next">Advancing the Understanding of Bariatric Surgery Outcomes</a></div></div> </nav> </main> </div> <div id="secondary" class="sidebar col-sm-10 col-sm-offset-1 col-md-3 col-md-offset-1" role="complementary"> <aside id="text-3" class="widget widget_text"> <div class="textwidget"><p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-5857 size-full" src="https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/DFCI-BCC_horiz_rgb.png" alt="" width="300" height="29" /></p> </div> </aside><aside id="text-5" class="widget widget_text"> <div class="textwidget"><p><a href="https://www.brighamandwomens.org/campaigns/physicians/overview" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2276" src="https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/blog-button.jpg" alt="read more" width="258" height="155" /></a></p> </div> </aside><aside id="search-4" class="widget widget_search"><h3 class="widget-title">Search</h3> <form method="get" id="searchform" action="https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/"> <label for="s" class="screen-reader-text"><span>Search</span></label> <input type="text" class="field" name="s" id="s" placeholder="Search …" /> <button type="submit" class="submit fa fa-search" name="submit" id="searchsubmit"><span class="screen-reader-text">Submit</span></button> </form> </aside><aside id="text-6" class="widget widget_text"><h3 class="widget-title">Refer a patient:</h3> <div class="textwidget"><p><center>Call 857-307-6047</center></p> </div> </aside><aside id="text-8" class="widget widget_text"><h3 class="widget-title">About Brigham On A Mission</h3> <div class="textwidget"><p>This site features news for physicians about research, innovation and clinical care at Brigham and Women鈥檚 Hospital and Dana-Farber Brigham Cancer Center.</p> </div> </aside></div> </div> </div> </section> <footer id="colophon" class="site-footer" role="contentinfo"> <div class="site-info"> <div class="container"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-md-12"> </div> </div> </div> </div> </footer> </div>  <script type="text/javascript"> (function(window, document, dataLayerName, id) { window[dataLayerName]=window[dataLayerName]||[],window[dataLayerName].push({start:(new Date).getTime(),event:"stg.start"});var scripts=document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0],tags=document.createElement('script'); function stgCreateCookie(a,b,c){var d="";if(c){var e=new Date;e.setTime(e.getTime()+24*c*60*60*1e3),d="; expires="+e.toUTCString()}document.cookie=a+"="+b+d+"; path=/"} var isStgDebug=(window.location.href.match("stg_debug")||document.cookie.match("stg_debug"))&&!window.location.href.match("stg_disable_debug");stgCreateCookie("stg_debug",isStgDebug?1:"",isStgDebug?14:-1); var qP=[];dataLayerName!=="dataLayer"&&qP.push("data_layer_name="+dataLayerName),isStgDebug&&qP.push("stg_debug");var qPString=qP.length>0?("?"+qP.join("&")):""; tags.async=!0,tags.src="https://mgb.containers.piwik.pro/"+id+".js"+qPString,scripts.parentNode.insertBefore(tags,scripts); !function(a,n,i){a[n]=a[n]||{};for(var c=0;c<i.length;c++)!function(i){a[n][i]=a[n][i]||{},a[n][i].api=a[n][i].api||function(){var a=[].slice.call(arguments,0);"string"==typeof a[0]&&window[dataLayerName].push({event:n+"."+i+":"+a[0],parameters:[].slice.call(arguments,1)})}}(i[c])}(window,"ppms",["tm","cm"]); })(window, document, 'dataLayer', 'eb15999a-801a-420b-83fe-a6ec50f8d268'); </script>  <script type="text/javascript"> window.WPCOM_sharing_counts = {"https:\/\/www.brighamhealthonamission.org\/2024\/04\/11\/researchers-discover-role-of-pd-1-in-driving-growth-of-merkel-cell-carcinoma\/":7733}; </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/wp-content/plugins/widget-options/assets/js/widgetopts.resize.js?ver=4.0.8" id="widgetopts-resize-script-js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/wp-content/themes/paulie/js/functions.js?ver=6.7.1" id="paulie-script-js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://stats.wp.com/e-202447.js" id="jetpack-stats-js" data-wp-strategy="defer"></script> <script type="text/javascript" id="jetpack-stats-js-after"> /* <![CDATA[ */ _stq = window._stq || []; _stq.push([ "view", JSON.parse("{\"v\":\"ext\",\"blog\":\"166336109\",\"post\":\"7733\",\"tz\":\"-5\",\"srv\":\"www.brighamhealthonamission.org\",\"j\":\"1:14.0\"}") ]); _stq.push([ "clickTrackerInit", "166336109", "7733" ]); /* ]]> */ </script> <script type="text/javascript" id="sharing-js-js-extra"> /* <![CDATA[ */ var sharing_js_options = {"lang":"en","counts":"1","is_stats_active":"1"}; /* ]]> */ </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://www.brighamhealthonamission.org/wp-content/plugins/jetpack/_inc/build/sharedaddy/sharing.min.js?ver=14.0" id="sharing-js-js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" id="sharing-js-js-after"> /* <![CDATA[ */ var windowOpen; ( function () { function matches( el, sel ) { return !! ( el.matches && el.matches( sel ) || el.msMatchesSelector && el.msMatchesSelector( sel ) ); } document.body.addEventListener( 'click', function ( event ) { if ( ! event.target ) { return; } var el; if ( matches( event.target, 'a.share-linkedin' ) ) { el = event.target; } else if ( event.target.parentNode && matches( event.target.parentNode, 'a.share-linkedin' ) ) { el = event.target.parentNode; } if ( el ) { event.preventDefault(); // If there's another sharing window open, close it. if ( typeof windowOpen !== 'undefined' ) { windowOpen.close(); } windowOpen = window.open( el.getAttribute( 'href' ), 'wpcomlinkedin', 'menubar=1,resizable=1,width=580,height=450' ); return false; } } ); } )(); var windowOpen; ( function () { function matches( el, sel ) { return !! ( el.matches && el.matches( sel ) || el.msMatchesSelector && el.msMatchesSelector( sel ) ); } document.body.addEventListener( 'click', function ( event ) { if ( ! event.target ) { return; } var el; if ( matches( event.target, 'a.share-twitter' ) ) { el = event.target; } else if ( event.target.parentNode && matches( event.target.parentNode, 'a.share-twitter' ) ) { el = event.target.parentNode; } if ( el ) { event.preventDefault(); // If there's another sharing window open, close it. if ( typeof windowOpen !== 'undefined' ) { windowOpen.close(); } windowOpen = window.open( el.getAttribute( 'href' ), 'wpcomtwitter', 'menubar=1,resizable=1,width=600,height=350' ); return false; } } ); } )(); var windowOpen; ( function () { function matches( el, sel ) { return !! ( el.matches && el.matches( sel ) || el.msMatchesSelector && el.msMatchesSelector( sel ) ); } document.body.addEventListener( 'click', function ( event ) { if ( ! event.target ) { return; } var el; if ( matches( event.target, 'a.share-facebook' ) ) { el = event.target; } else if ( event.target.parentNode && matches( event.target.parentNode, 'a.share-facebook' ) ) { el = event.target.parentNode; } if ( el ) { event.preventDefault(); // If there's another sharing window open, close it. if ( typeof windowOpen !== 'undefined' ) { windowOpen.close(); } windowOpen = window.open( el.getAttribute( 'href' ), 'wpcomfacebook', 'menubar=1,resizable=1,width=600,height=400' ); return false; } } ); } )(); /* ]]> */ </script> </body> </html>