TIGIT as an emerging immune checkpoint

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Oncology
• Cancer Immunotherapy

Background:

• T cell immunoglobulin and ITIM domain (TIGIT) is an inhibitory receptor on lymphocytes.
• TIGIT negatively regulates T cell and natural killer (NK) cell functions by interacting with CD155.
• TIGIT is a significant barrier to effective anti-tumour immune responses in the cancer immunity cycle.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the current understanding of TIGIT.
• To highlight TIGIT as a promising target in cancer immunotherapy.
• To discuss the clinical development of TIGIT-blocking agents.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of TIGIT research from discovery to clinical trials.
• Analysis of pre-clinical data on TIGIT blockade efficacy.
• Overview of ongoing clinical trials for TIGIT-targeted therapies.

Main Results:

• TIGIT blockade has demonstrated potential in pre-clinical models against solid and hematological cancers.
• Monoclonal antibodies targeting human TIGIT have been developed.
• Clinical trials are evaluating TIGIT blockade, alone or with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors, in advanced solid tumors.

Conclusions:

• TIGIT is a critical inhibitory checkpoint in cancer immunity.
• TIGIT-blocking therapies represent a novel and advancing strategy in cancer immunotherapy.
• Further clinical investigation is warranted to establish the efficacy of TIGIT-targeted treatments.