MerTK Blockade Fuels Anti-tumor Immunity (Immunity)

Phagocytosis of apoptotic cells via the receptor MerTK is important for immune tolerance. In this issue of Immunity, Zhou et al. report that blockade of MerTK-mediated phagocytosis mobilizes anti-tumor immunity through a mechanism that involves the transport of tumor-derived cGAMP into macrophages via the ATP-activated channel P2X7R.