TIM-3 is a negative regulator of immune cell function; indeed, engagement with its ligands induces T and NK cell exhaustion in different viral infections16,17 and cancer.18 Moreover, TIM-3 blockade rescues impaired NK cell function.19,20 This generalized overexpression of TIM-3 and CD69, reveals a remarkably consistent and multifaceted hyperactivation and exhaustion profile of the two arms of immunity in this clinical setting. This evidence concerns the gene CD69 and cancer.