The essential role played by T cells in anticancer immunity is widely accepted.The immunosuppressive functions of regulatory T cells are central for tumorprogression and have been endowed with a robust predictive value. Increasingevidence indicates that also B cells have a crucial part in the regulation ofT-cell responses against tumors. Although experiments reporting the production ofnatural antitumor antibodies and the induction of cytotoxic immune responses haverevealed a tumor-protective function for B cells, other findings suggest that Bcells may also exert tumor-promoting functions, resulting in a controversialpicture. Here, we review recent evidence on the interactions between B and Tcells in murine models and cancer patients and their implications for cancerimmunology.
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