Targeting immune cells for cancer therapy

• Main Authors: Gun, Sin Yee, Lee, Sharon Wei Ling, Sieow, Je Lin, Wong, Siew Cheng
• Other Authors: School of Biological Sciences
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: 2020
• Subjects: Science::Biological sciences; Cancer; Immunotherapy
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/143876
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Recent years have seen a renaissance in the research linking inflammation and cancer with immune cells playing a central role in smouldering inflammation in the tumor microenvironment. Diverse immune cell types infiltrate the tumor microenvironment, and the dynamic tumor-immune cell interplay gives rise to a rich milieu of cytokines and growth factors. Fundamentally, this intricate cross-talk creates the conducive condition for tumor cell proliferation, survival and metastasis. Interestingly, the prominent impact of immune cells is expounded in their contrary pro-tumoral role, as well as their potential anti-cancer cellular weaponry. The latter is known as immunotherapy, a concept born out of evidence that tumors are susceptible to immune defence and that by manipulating the immune system, tumor growth can be successfully restrained. Naturally, a deeper understanding of the multifaceted roles of various immune cell types thus contributes toward developing innovative anti-cancer strategies. Therefore, in this review we first outline the roles played by the major immune cell types, such as macrophages, neutrophils, natural killer cells, T cells and B cells. We then explain the recently-explored strategies of immunomodulation and discuss some important approaches via an immunology perspective.