Subversion of calreticulin exposure as a strategy of immune escape.

In this issue, Lin et al. report that, in malignant cells, stanniocalcin-1 (STC1) prevents the cell surface exposure of the "eat me" signal calreticulin, thereby avoiding phagocytosis by antigen-presenting cells. STC1 overexpression joins an arsenal of mechanisms through which tumor cells suppress calreticulin exposure and escape from immunosurveillance.