Dysfunctional T cell metabolism in the tumor microenvironment

A longstanding goal in cancer therapy has been to enlist the immune system to eradicate tumors. Beyond virally-induced tumors, however, cancer vaccines have historically shown limited durable results [1]. It is now apparent that aspects of the tumor microenvironment both directly and indirectly impair immune cell functions [2]. Most notably, tumor cells and tumor-associated stromal cells express inhibitory immune checkpoint ligands that suppress T cell function. Therapeutic targeting of immune checkpoint inhibitors including programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) and its ligand (PD-L1), as well as monoclonal antibodies blocking cytotoxic lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA-4), are transforming the standard of care in both hematologic and solid tumor malignancies.
Source: Cytokine and Growth Factor Reviews - Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Source Type: research