Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 30, 2026

Screening Bioactive Nanoparticles in Phagocytic Immune Cells for Inhibitors of Toll-like Receptor Signaling
09:51

Screening Bioactive Nanoparticles in Phagocytic Immune Cells for Inhibitors of Toll-like Receptor Signaling

Published on: July 26, 2017

Lung cancer and Toll-like receptors

Aldo Pinto1, Silvana Morello, Rosalinda Sorrentino

  • 1Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences Department, University of Salerno, 84084 Fisciano, Salerno, Italy.

Cancer Immunology, Immunotherapy : CII
|July 27, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are crucial for immune response but their role in lung carcinoma is complex. While some TLRs show no anti-tumor activity, understanding their precise mechanisms is vital for developing new lung cancer therapies.

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Lung carcinoma is a leading global cause of death, characterized by its resistance to immune surveillance.
  • Toll-like receptors (TLRs) bridge innate and adaptive immunity, offering potential therapeutic targets in cancer.
  • Cancer cells' immune evasion necessitates understanding TLRs' role in tumor progression.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the dual role of Toll-like receptors (TLRs) in lung cancer and metastasis.
  • To explore mechanisms by which TLR ligands may promote or inhibit lung cancer progression.
  • To identify knowledge gaps regarding TLR function in lung cancer for future therapeutic development.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of basic research and clinical trials on TLRs in lung carcinoma.
  • Analysis of studies investigating TLR signaling pathways in the context of tumor immunity.
  • Synthesis of evidence on the impact of specific TLRs (TLR2, TLR4, TLR9) in lung cancer.

Main Results:

  • Activation of TLR2, TLR4, and TLR9 has shown no significant anti-tumor activity in lung carcinoma.
  • TLRs are increasingly recognized as critical regulators of tumor biology, yet their specific functions in lung cancer remain unclear.
  • Evidence suggests TLRs can influence both the establishment and progression of lung cancer and its metastases.

Conclusions:

  • Further research is essential to elucidate the complex relationship between TLRs and lung cancer.
  • Targeting specific TLRs may offer novel therapeutic strategies, but their precise roles require detailed investigation.
  • Understanding TLR mechanisms is key to developing effective treatments for lung carcinoma and preventing metastasis.

Related Concept Videos

lncRNA - Long Non-coding RNAs02:39

lncRNA - Long Non-coding RNAs

In humans, more than 80% of the genome gets transcribed. However, only around 2% of the genome codes for proteins. The remaining part produces non-coding RNAs which includes ribosomal RNAs, transfer RNAs, telomerase RNAs, and regulatory RNAs, among other types. A large number of regulatory non-coding RNAs have been classified into two groups depending upon their length – small non-coding RNAs, such as microRNA, which are less than 200 nucleotides in length, and long non-coding RNA (lncRNA)...
Rous Sarcoma Virus (RSV) and Cancer01:03

Rous Sarcoma Virus (RSV) and Cancer

Rous Sarcoma virus or RSV was discovered by F. Peyton Rous in the year 1911 as a filterable transmissible agent that could cause tumors in chickens. He won a Nobel Prize for this discovery in 1966. His experiments clearly demonstrated that some cancers could be caused by infectious agents and led to the discovery of many more cancer-causing viruses in animals as well as humans.
RSV is a retrovirus that contains two copies of a plus-strand  RNA genome. Its genome consists of four main open...
Tumor Immunotherapy01:27

Tumor Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy is a treatment that boosts or manipulates the immune system to fight diseases, including cancer. For instance, by stimulating an immune response through vaccinations against viruses that cause cancers, like hepatitis B virus and human papillomavirus, these diseases can be prevented. Nonetheless, some cancer cells can avoid the immune system due to their rapid mutation and division. The immune response to many cancers involves three phases: elimination, equilibrium, and escape.
mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression03:03

mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression

The mammalian target of rapamycin or mTOR protein was discovered in 1994 due to its direct interaction with rapamycin. The protein gets its name from a yeast homolog called TOR. The mTOR protein complex in mammalian cells plays a major role in balancing anabolic processes such as the synthesis of proteins, lipids, and nucleotides and catabolic processes, such as autophagy in response to environmental cues, such as availability of nutrients and growth factors.
The mTOR pathway or the...
Metastasis02:30

Metastasis

Metastasis is the spread of cancer cells from the original site to distant locations in the body. Cancer cells can spread via blood vessels (hematogenous) as well as lymph vessels in the body.
Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition
The epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition or EMT is a developmental process commonly observed in wound healing, embryogenesis, and cancer metastasis. EMT is induced by transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) or receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) ligands, which further...