Comparative profiling of MAIT cells across gastrointestinal cancers identifies conserved NK receptor dysregulation and HCC-specific defects in cytotoxicity and XBP1s signaling

Background & aims: Mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells are innate-like T lymphocytes with cytotoxic capacity and emerging roles in tumour immunity. While MAIT cells express a diverse repertoire of natural killer (NK) receptors, the functional significance of these receptors in gastrointestinal (GI) cancers remains poorly understood.