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Robert Lewis: T Cells Are Wonderful – But They Can’t Do Everything

Robert Lewis/LinkedIn

Oct 10, 2025, 12:25

Robert Lewis: T Cells Are Wonderful – But They Can’t Do Everything

Robert Lewis, CEO and Co-Founder at NÖK Therapeutics, shared a post on LinkedIn:

“T cells are wonderful – but they can’t do everything.
Here’s a list of key functions that other cell types can do (that T cells really can’t)

NK cells: Kill cancer without needing antigen presentation
– T cells need to be “introduced” to their target.
– NK cells often recognize stressed and abnormal cells automatically.

Macrophages: Access tissues T cells never reach
– T cells struggle in solid tumors.
– Macrophages live there and can be reprogrammed to attack locally.

B cells: Remember threats for decades
– T cell memory fades.
– B cell memory can last a lifetime and rapidly produce targeted antibodies on demand.

Neutrophils: Respond within minutes, not days
– T cells need time to activate and proliferate.
– Neutrophils are your body’s emergency response team.

Dendritic cells: Cross-present antigens from dead cells
– T cells can only see what’s actively presented to them.
– Dendritic cells can show T cells what they missed.

Each cell type can handle threats that T cells simply weren’t designed to address effectively.

Yet we keep trying to engineer T cells to do jobs they were never designed for.

You don’t build an army, and then only train the infantry.

It’s time we did the same for immune cell therapy.
Anything else you’d add?”

Robert Lewis