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Advances in Radiotherapy Immune Modulation: From Bench-to-Bedside and Back Again
Charles X Wang1, Jared Hunt1, Shera Feinstein1
1UC Davis Health, Department of Radiation Oncology, 4501 X-Street, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA.
Surgical Oncology Clinics of North America
|May 14, 2023
Summary
Radiotherapy (RT) can modulate the immune system, but combining it with immunotherapy has yielded mixed results. Further research is needed to optimize RT parameters and explore novel immunotherapy combinations for better cancer treatment outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Immunology
- Radiation Oncology
Background:
- Radiotherapy (RT) exhibits immune modulatory effects, supported by pre-clinical and clinical data.
- Clinical trials combining RT with immunotherapy have shown equivocal results, highlighting a need for further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To understand the immune modulatory effects of RT and how delivery parameters influence them.
- To explore novel immunotherapy combinations beyond immune checkpoint inhibitors for use with RT.
Main Methods:
- Investigating the impact of RT delivery parameters (lesion site/number, dose, fractionation, timing) on immune modulation.
- Utilizing a "bench-to-bedside and back again" approach to bridge basic research and clinical application.
Main Results:
- Equivocal clinical outcomes from RT + immunotherapy trials indicate a gap in understanding optimal combination strategies.
- Need for deeper insights into RT's immune effects to guide therapeutic development.
Conclusions:
- Optimizing RT parameters and exploring diverse immunotherapy combinations are crucial for enhancing RT + immunotherapy efficacy.
- A translational research approach is essential for developing more effective cancer treatment strategies.