Environmental chemicals and the tumor immune microenvironment

Impact of representative environmental chemicals on tumor immune microenvironment (TIME). Representative environmental chemicals are ubiquitously distributed across air, soil, aquatic systems, and biota. These toxicants enter the human body via multiple exposure routes, including inhalation, dietary intake, and dermal absorption, subsequently accumulating in vital organs (such as the liver, lungs, kidneys, and intestines) as well as within tumor tissues. By disrupting physiological homeostasis, they impair the functionality of critical biological systems, including the metabolic, nervous, circulatory, and immune systems. Notably, within tumor tissues, these chemicals remodel the TIME by suppressing antitumor immunity and compromising the efficacy of immunotherapy, thereby promoting tumor initiation and progression.