The Role of Immunocytes in Cancer and New Insights into Immunotherapy
A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Immunology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 November 2024 | Viewed by 45
Special Issue Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
White blood cells, or leukocytes, also known as immune cells or immunocytes, are essential components of the immune system, responsible for protecting the body against infections and foreign invaders. Lymphocytes, a subset of white blood cells, include T cells, B cells, and natural killer (NK) cells.
T lymphocytes, particularly noted for their antigen-directed cytotoxicity, have become a key focus in cancer immunotherapy. Advances in understanding the molecular and cellular biology of T cells have led to innovative treatments such as checkpoint blockade, adoptive cellular therapy, and cancer vaccines. Over the past 50 years, research in this area has been highly active, culminating in significant clinical successes.
Checkpoint blockade has shown that tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) are indeed cancer-specific immune cells, which often become exhausted or dysfunctional within the tumor microenvironment, compromising the antitumor immune response. While much of the attention in tumor immunology has been on CD8+ cytotoxic T cells due to their correlation with patient survival, T cells do not act alone. B cells can constitute up to 25% of cells in certain tumors, and a significant portion of TILs in some cancers are B cells, suggesting they play important roles in modulating tumor responses. Immune checkpoint blockade therapies can also target activated B cells, as molecules such as PD-1, PD-L1, CTLA-4, and B7 are expressed on B cells. Both CTLA-4 and PD-1 inhibit B cell activity, and blocking these molecules enhances the proliferation of memory B cells and antibody production.
This evidence underscores the immune system's capacity to combat cancer. Cancer immunotherapy has transformed oncology by extending the survival of patients with aggressive cancers. The number of patients eligible for these treatments is rapidly increasing as immunotherapy becomes a first-line treatment for many cancers. The development of novel treatment combinations and new druggable targets will further expand the role of immunotherapy in cancer treatment in the coming decades.
This Special Issue offers a comprehensive overview of the biological basis and clinical application of cancer immunotherapeutics, emphasizing the critical role of T lymphocyte regulation. It highlights clinical trials that demonstrate the efficacy and potential toxicities of various drugs, summarizes emerging therapies, and discusses unresolved questions and future directions in cancer immunotherapy.
Prof. Dr. Ida Franiak-Pietryga
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- T cells
- B cells
- NK cells
- adoptive cell therapy
- cancer
- immunotherapy
- checkpoint inhibitors
