Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Tumor Immunotherapy

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.

T Cell Types and Functions

T Cell Types and Functions

When T cells with CD4 markers are activated, they give rise to two types of effector cells: helper T cells and regulatory T cells. Meanwhile, T cells with CD8 markers differentiate into effector cytotoxic T cells. The differentiation of CD4 T cells into helper T cell subsets, such as Th1, Th2, and Th17 cells, is dependent on the antigen type, antigen-presenting cell, and regulatory cytokines.
Th1 cells stimulate dendritic cells to express necessary co-stimulatory molecules on their surfaces for...

The Tumor Microenvironment

The Tumor Microenvironment

Every normal cell or tissue is embedded in a complex local environment called stroma, consisting of different cell types, a basal membrane, and blood vessels. As normal cells mutate and develop into cancer cells, their local environment also changes to allow cancer progression. The tumor microenvironment (TME) consists of a complex cellular matrix of stromal cells and the developing tumor. The cross-talk between cancer cells and surrounding stromal cells is critical to disrupt normal tissue...

Cytotoxic T Cells-mediated Immune Response

Cytotoxic T Cells-mediated Immune Response

Cytotoxic T cells are a vital component of the immune system. They have the remarkable ability to identify and target antigens on infected or abnormal cells. These antigens often originate from intracellular pathogens such as viruses or abnormal proteins cancer cells produce.
Immunological surveillance is the ability of immune cells to monitor and eliminate infected cells with intracellular pathogens, neoplastically transformed cells, and cells with non-self antigens. Cytotoxic T cells and NK...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Intracellular acidification by microbiota-derived valeric acid facilitates trans-kingdom ecology limiting Candida parapsilosis colonization.

Cell host & microbe·2026

Same author

Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy for Patients With cN1 HR+/HER2- Breast Cancer and Palpable Adenopathy: A Nonrandomized Clinical Trial.

JAMA surgery·2026

Same author

Tracking response to neoadjuvant systemic therapy through circulating tumor DNA analysis in breast cancer.

NPJ breast cancer·2026

Same author

Editorial Expression of Concern: Increased NK cell immunity in a transgenic mouse model of NKp46 overexpression.

Scientific reports·2026

Same author

Monitoring of circulating tumor DNA in patients with stage II-III breast cancer treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

NPJ breast cancer·2026

Same author

Cancer-driven cytokine immunomodulation ameliorates cardiac function and suppresses fibrosis.

Journal of molecular and cellular cardiology plus·2025

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Nov 8, 2025

Tumor Transplantation for Assessing the Dynamics of Tumor-Infiltrating CD8+ T Cells in Mice

Tumor Transplantation for Assessing the Dynamics of Tumor-Infiltrating CD8+ T Cells in Mice

Published on: June 12, 2021

Tumor resident regulatory T cells.

Ariella Glasner¹, George Plitas²

¹Immunology Program and Ludwig Center for Cancer Immunotherapy, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, 10065, USA.

Seminars in Immunology

|April 28, 2021

Summary

Regulatory T (Treg) cells suppress anti-tumor immunity in the tumor microenvironment (TME). Targeting these immunosuppressive cells offers a promising strategy for enhancing cancer immunotherapy efficacy.

Keywords:

Anti-tumor immunity Cancer immunotherapy FOXP3 Immune homeostasis Regulatory T cells Treg suppression Tumor microenvironment

More Related Videos

Functional Characterization of Regulatory Macrophages That Inhibit Graft-reactive Immunity

Functional Characterization of Regulatory Macrophages That Inhibit Graft-reactive Immunity

Published on: June 7, 2017

Generation of Human Chimeric Antigen Receptor Regulatory T Cells

Generation of Human Chimeric Antigen Receptor Regulatory T Cells

Published on: January 3, 2025

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Nov 8, 2025

Tumor Transplantation for Assessing the Dynamics of Tumor-Infiltrating CD8+ T Cells in Mice

Tumor Transplantation for Assessing the Dynamics of Tumor-Infiltrating CD8+ T Cells in Mice

Published on: June 12, 2021

Functional Characterization of Regulatory Macrophages That Inhibit Graft-reactive Immunity

Functional Characterization of Regulatory Macrophages That Inhibit Graft-reactive Immunity

Published on: June 7, 2017

Generation of Human Chimeric Antigen Receptor Regulatory T Cells

Generation of Human Chimeric Antigen Receptor Regulatory T Cells

Published on: January 3, 2025

Area of Science:

Immunology
Oncology
Cell Biology

Background:

The immune system balances pathogen defense with self-tolerance and tissue repair.
Dysregulated immune control contributes to inflammatory diseases like autoimmunity and cancer.
Cancers employ immune evasion tactics, notably by recruiting immunosuppressive cells like regulatory T (Treg) cells.

Purpose of the Study:

To review the biology of Treg cells within the tumor microenvironment (TME).
To explore the role of Treg cells in cancer progression and immune evasion.
To discuss the therapeutic potential of targeting Treg cells in cancer immunotherapy.

Main Methods:

Review of existing literature on Treg cell function in cancer.
Analysis of Treg cell phenotype and immunosuppressive mechanisms within the TME.
Examination of current strategies for targeting Treg cells in cancer therapy.

Main Results:

Treg cells, expressing Foxp3, are abundant in tumors and suppress anti-tumor immune responses.
Treg cells promote tumor growth by supporting cancer cell survival and interacting with tumor-associated stromal cells.
Targeting Treg cells aims to restore anti-tumor immunity while preserving overall immune homeostasis.

Conclusions:

Treg cells play a critical role in tumor immune evasion and progression.
Selective targeting of tumor-associated Treg cells is a viable strategy for improving cancer immunotherapy.
Understanding Treg cell biology in the TME is crucial for developing effective cancer treatments.