The latest direction in cancer treatment has been toward potential cancer vaccines and immunotherapies. As these therapies become standard, continued research is important to understand how the body interacts with these treatments. A recent Mayo Clinic study found a unique form of immunosuppression caused by brain cancer that could inhibit the effectiveness of cancer vaccines and immunotherapies. The findings were recently published in the journal, Brain.

On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Aaron J. Johnson, a professor of immunology at Mayo Clinic, and Dr. Katayoun (Kathy) Ayasoufi, a research associate in Dr. Johnson's lab in the Department of immunology, discuss the importance of basic science research and explain how understanding the immunosuppression caused by brain cancer could lead to improved treatments for patients.