Apoptosis: a Janus bifrons in T-cell immunotherapy

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Immunology
• Cell Biology

Background:

• Cancer immunotherapy, including immune checkpoint blockade, bispecific antibodies, and adoptive T-cell transfer, has transformed cancer treatment.
• Apoptosis evasion is a hallmark of cancer, hindering treatment efficacy.
• Apoptosis also critically impacts T cell survival, representing a failure mechanism in immunotherapy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review strategies for enhancing cancer cell apoptosis susceptibility to improve immunotherapy outcomes.
• To discuss the dual role of apoptosis in cancer therapy: inducing cancer cell death and causing T cell failure.
• To explore methods to overcome T cell apoptosis in the tumor microenvironment.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of recent advancements in cancer immunotherapy.
• Analysis of mechanisms underlying cancer cell apoptosis evasion.
• Examination of T cell apoptosis in the context of the tumor microenvironment.

Main Results:

• Cancer cells possess intrinsic mechanisms to resist apoptosis.
• Strategies to increase cancer cell apoptosis sensitivity are crucial for immunotherapy.
• T cell apoptosis within the tumor microenvironment limits immunotherapy effectiveness.

Conclusions:

• Enhancing cancer cell apoptosis is a key strategy to improve immunotherapy efficacy.
• Overcoming T cell apoptosis is essential for sustained anti-cancer immune responses.
• Targeting apoptosis pathways offers promising avenues for next-generation cancer immunotherapies.