The Trinity: Interplay among Cancer Cells, Fibroblasts, and Immune Cells in Pancreatic Cancer and Implication of CD8+ T Cell-Orientated Therapy

Hung, Yu-Hsuan; Chen, Li-Tzong; Hung, Wen-Chun

doi:10.3390/biomedicines10040926

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The Trinity: Interplay among Cancer Cells, Fibroblasts, and Immune Cells in Pancreatic Cancer and Implication of CD8⁺ T Cell-Orientated Therapy

by

Yu-Hsuan Hung

¹,

Li-Tzong Chen

^1,2,3,* and

Wen-Chun Hung

^1,*

¹

National Institute of Cancer Research, National Health Research Institutes, Tainan 704, Taiwan

²

Division of Hematology & Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 804, Taiwan

³

Center for Cancer Research, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan

^*

Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Biomedicines 2022, 10(4), 926; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines10040926

Submission received: 5 March 2022 / Revised: 15 April 2022 / Accepted: 17 April 2022 / Published: 18 April 2022

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pancreatic Cancer: From Mechanisms to Therapeutic Approaches)

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Abstract

The microenvironment in tumors is complicated and is constituted by different cell types and stromal proteins. Among the cell types, the abundance of cancer cells, fibroblasts, and immune cells is high and these cells work as the “Trinity” in promoting tumorigenesis. Although unidirectional or bidirectional crosstalk between two independent cell types has been well characterized, the multi-directional interplays between cancer cells, fibroblasts, and immune cells in vitro and in vivo are still unclear. We summarize recent studies in addressing the interaction of the “Trinity” members in the tumor microenvironment and propose a functional network for how these members communicate with each other. In addition, we discuss the underlying mechanisms mediating the interplay. Moreover, correlations of the alterations in the distribution and functionality of cancer cells, fibroblasts, and immune cells under different circumstances are reviewed. Finally, we point out the future application of CD8⁺ T cell-oriented therapy in the treatment of pancreatic cancer.

Keywords: pancreatic cancer; fibroblasts; immunity; CD8⁺ T cells

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MDPI and ACS Style

Hung, Y.-H.; Chen, L.-T.; Hung, W.-C. The Trinity: Interplay among Cancer Cells, Fibroblasts, and Immune Cells in Pancreatic Cancer and Implication of CD8⁺ T Cell-Orientated Therapy. Biomedicines 2022, 10, 926. https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines10040926

AMA Style

Hung Y-H, Chen L-T, Hung W-C. The Trinity: Interplay among Cancer Cells, Fibroblasts, and Immune Cells in Pancreatic Cancer and Implication of CD8⁺ T Cell-Orientated Therapy. Biomedicines. 2022; 10(4):926. https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines10040926

Chicago/Turabian Style

Hung, Yu-Hsuan, Li-Tzong Chen, and Wen-Chun Hung. 2022. "The Trinity: Interplay among Cancer Cells, Fibroblasts, and Immune Cells in Pancreatic Cancer and Implication of CD8⁺ T Cell-Orientated Therapy" Biomedicines 10, no. 4: 926. https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines10040926

APA Style

Hung, Y.-H., Chen, L.-T., & Hung, W.-C. (2022). The Trinity: Interplay among Cancer Cells, Fibroblasts, and Immune Cells in Pancreatic Cancer and Implication of CD8⁺ T Cell-Orientated Therapy. Biomedicines, 10(4), 926. https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines10040926

Note that from the first issue of 2016, this journal uses article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.

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The Trinity: Interplay among Cancer Cells, Fibroblasts, and Immune Cells in Pancreatic Cancer and Implication of CD8⁺ T Cell-Orientated Therapy

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