Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 15, 2025
09:04
Analysis of Human T Cell Activity in an Allogeneic Co-Culture Setting of Pre-Treated Tumor Cells
Published on: March 7, 2025
590
Cancer stem cell-immune cell collusion in immunotherapy
Yuan-Yuan Wang1, Wen-Da Wang1, Zhi-Jun Sun1,2
1The State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Basic Science of Stomatology (Hubei-MOST) & Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine, Ministry of Education, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, People's Republic of China.
International Journal of Cancer
|January 5, 2023
Summary
Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) shows promise in cancer treatment but faces challenges from immunosuppressive tumor microenvironments. This review explores how cancer stem cells (CSCs) interact with immune cells to drive ICB resistance, suggesting targeted drug strategies.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Immunology
- Cancer Research
Background:
- Immunotherapy, specifically immune checkpoint blockade (ICB), has revolutionized cancer treatment by enhancing the immune system's ability to fight tumors.
- However, the efficacy of ICB is often limited by an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) and insufficient immune response activation.
- Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are increasingly recognized for their role in treatment resistance and tumor recurrence, yet their interaction with the immune system in the context of ICB remains underexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- This review aims to elucidate the intricate crosstalk between cancer stem cells (CSCs) and tumor-infiltrating immune cells.
- It focuses on summarizing the signaling pathways involved in CSC-immune cell interactions that contribute to resistance against immune checkpoint blockade (ICB).
- Furthermore, the review highlights potential therapeutic strategies involving targeted drugs to enhance ICB response by modulating these interactions.
Main Methods:
- Literature review and synthesis of existing research on cancer stem cells, tumor microenvironment, and immune checkpoint blockade.
- Analysis of signaling pathways mediating crosstalk between CSCs and tumor-infiltrating immune cells.
- Identification and discussion of targeted drug applications for improving ICB efficacy.
Main Results:
- CSCs actively shape the TME, promoting immune suppression and contributing to ICB resistance through complex signaling crosstalk with various immune cells.
- Specific pathways of CSC-immune cell interaction have been identified as key drivers of therapeutic failure.
- Targeting these specific CSC-immune cell interactions presents a promising avenue for overcoming ICB resistance.
Conclusions:
- Understanding the collusive relationship between CSCs and immune cells is crucial for overcoming ICB resistance.
- Targeted therapeutic interventions aimed at disrupting CSC-immune cell crosstalk can potentially restore sensitivity to ICB.
- Further research into these interactions may lead to novel combination therapies for improved cancer treatment outcomes.
Related Concept Videos
02:40Cancer Stem Cells and Tumor Maintenance
5.0K
Early diagnosis and treatment can often cure cancer. However, even with treatment, residual cells called cancer stem cells (CSC) might remain, often causing tumor recurrence. These cancer stem cells possess the potential for self-renewal and multi-lineage differentiation and are often responsible for the therapeutic resistance displayed in most cancers.
Cancer stem cells are thought to originate from tissue-specific normal stem cells or progenitor cells. The normal stem cells usually reside in...
Cancer stem cells are thought to originate from tissue-specific normal stem cells or progenitor cells. The normal stem cells usually reside in...
5.0K
01:27Tumor Immunotherapy
622
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.
622
01:21Stem Cell Therapy for Tissue Regeneration
4.1K
Stem cell therapy is a method used in regenerative medicine to repair and restore function to damaged tissues and organs. Stem cells have the potential to proliferate and differentiate into various tissue types, making them ideal candidates for tissue regeneration. For example, hematopoietic stem cell transplants are commonly used in blood cancer treatment to replenish damaged bone marrow and restore healthy blood cells.
Types of Stem Cells used in Stem Cell Therapy
The two main cell...
Types of Stem Cells used in Stem Cell Therapy
The two main cell...
4.1K
01:30Cancer Vaccines
477
Cancer treatment vaccines are a rapidly evolving field that offers a promising approach to immunotherapy. Unlike traditional vaccines that prevent diseases, cancer treatment vaccines are designed to treat existing cancers by stimulating the immune system to recognize and attack cancer cells.
Cancer vaccines come in two categories: preventive (prophylactic) and treatment (active). Preventive vaccines, such as the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, protect against viruses that cause certain...
Cancer vaccines come in two categories: preventive (prophylactic) and treatment (active). Preventive vaccines, such as the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, protect against viruses that cause certain...
477
02:50Combination Therapies and Personalized Medicine
5.0K
Combining two or more treatment methods increases the life span of cancer patients while reducing damage to vital organs or tissue from the overuse of a single treatment. Combination therapy also targets different cancer-inducing pathways, thus reducing the chances of developing resistance to treatment.
The combination of the drug acetazolamide and sulforaphane is a good example of combination therapy to treat cancer. The cells in the interior of a large tumor often die due to the hypoxic and...
The combination of the drug acetazolamide and sulforaphane is a good example of combination therapy to treat cancer. The cells in the interior of a large tumor often die due to the hypoxic and...
5.0K
02:17The Tumor Microenvironment
6.7K
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...
6.7K