Salk Institute Researchers Uncover Mechanism Behind Immune System's Pro-Tumor Switch

Researchers at the Salk Institute have identified a novel pathway explaining why interferons, signaling proteins initially crucial for fighting cancer, can paradoxically begin to promote tumor growth when exposure is chronic. Published in *Science*, this foundational insight links chronic interferon exposure to mitochondrial dysfunction, leading to immunosuppression, and offers a potential target for developing new therapies to combat immunotherapy-resistant cancers.