Cell death and immune escape in the tumor microenvironment: associated mechanisms, opportunities and challenges

The tumor microenvironment (TME) is a dynamic and complex biological system composed of cancer cells, stromal cells, fibroblasts, immune cells, extracellular matrix, and tumor vasculature. It plays a pivotal role in tumor initiation, progression, invasion, and metastasis, and therapeutic strategies targeting the TME have opened new avenues for tumor treatment and management. Within the TME, immune cells directly influence tumor development, while tumor cells evade immune surveillance through the regulation or silencing of key genes. Growing evidence suggests that cell death mechanisms are central to both tumorigenesis and immune evasion, providing targets for the development of diverse therapeutic strategies. This review explores the intricate relationship between various forms of cell death and immune escape in tumor cells, examining potential regulatory mechanisms of the TME in tumor progression from a micro perspective. Furthermore, it discusses the clinical applications of tumor immune escape and cell death mechanism-related targets and treatment strategies in antitumor immunity.