T-cell modulation by cyclophosphamide for tumour therapy

The power of T cells for cancer treatment has been demonstrated by the success of co-inhibitory receptor blockade and adoptive T-cell immunotherapies. These treatments are highly successful for certain cancers, but are often personalized, expensive and associated with harmful side effects. Other T-cell-modulating drugs may provide additional means of improving immune responses to tumours without these disadvantages. Conventional chemotherapeutic drugs are traditionally used to target cancers directly; however, it is clear that some also have significant immune-modulating effects that can be harnessed to target tumours. Cyclophosphamide is one such drug; used at lower doses than in mainstream chemotherapy, it can perturb immune homeostasis, tipping the balance towards generation of anti-tumour T-cell responses and control of cancer growth. This review discusses its growing reputation as an immune-modulator whose multiple effects synergize with the microbiota to tip the balance towards tumour immunity offering widespread benefits as a safe, and relatively inexpensive component of cancer immunotherapy.