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Immune Niches in Cancer
Nadine Slingerland, Eline Runderkamp, Daniela S Thommen1
1Division of Molecular Oncology and Immunology, Oncode Institute, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands;
Annual Review of Immunology
|March 13, 2026
Summary
The spatial organization of immune cells within tumors, forming specialized immune niches, significantly impacts cancer immunity and treatment response. Understanding these niches offers new therapeutic strategies for cancer immunotherapy.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Oncology
- Cancer Research
Background:
- The tumor microenvironment plays a critical role in regulating cancer immunity.
- Immune cell presence alone is less predictive of clinical outcome than their spatial organization.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review how spatial compartmentalization of immune cells within tumors influences immune function.
- To explore the role of immune niches in cancer immunity and immunotherapy response.
Main Methods:
- Review of current literature on immune cell organization within tumors.
- Integration of knowledge on established and emerging immune niches.
- Analysis of factors shaping immune niches, including cell diversity, density, and structure.
Main Results:
- Spatial arrangement of immune cells in niches is more predictive of clinical outcome and immunotherapy response than simple infiltration.
- Immune niches modulate immune function through cellular interactions, signaling cascades, and protective environments.
- Niche complexity is shaped by cell diversity, density, and structural organization.
Conclusions:
- Immune cell spatial organization within the tumor microenvironment is crucial for cancer immunity.
- Targeting or modulating immune niches presents promising therapeutic opportunities for cancer treatment.
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