Paralysis of the cytotoxic granule machinery is a new cancer immune evasion mechanism mediated by chitinase 3-like-1.

Our work highlights a new paradigm of tumor immune escape mediated by CHI3L1 which acts on the cytotoxic machinery and prevents granule polarization. Targeting CHI3L1 could mitigate immune escape and potentiate antibody and cell-based immunotherapies.