CD8A and neoplasm: Despite the presence of tumor-reactive CD8+ T cells, cancer cells often escape these cytotoxic T cells by several mechanisms that include, (i) downmodulation of HLA-class I expression on tumor cells that is essential for tumor antigen presentation1,4, (ii) promoting selective infiltration of immune regulatory cells that can directly downmodulate T-cell responses9 or indirectly by downmodulating HLA class I expression on tumor cells10 and (iii) by increased expression of immune-checkpoint molecules9,11,12.