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Published on: February 9, 2016
Cross-talk between leukemic and immune cells at the tumor microenvironment in chronic lymphocytic leukemia: An update
Saeid Taghiloo1, Hossein Asgarian-Omran1,2
1Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.
Insights
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) involves immune system defects and relies heavily on its tumor microenvironment (TME). Understanding TME interactions offers new therapeutic strategies for immune escape in CLL.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Oncology
- Hematology
Background:
- Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a B cell malignancy characterized by immune system dysregulation.
- CLL pathogenesis is significantly influenced by the tumor microenvironment (TME).
- Immune evasion and treatment resistance in CLL are linked to TME interactions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the role of the tumor microenvironment in immune escape mechanisms in CLL.
- To highlight the complex interplay between CLL cells and immune cells within the TME.
- To identify therapeutic opportunities arising from TME-CLL cell interactions.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies on CLL, tumor microenvironment, and immune system interactions.
- Analysis of research on immune evasion strategies in hematological malignancies.
- Synthesis of current knowledge on TME components supporting CLL progression.
Main Results:
- The TME provides a niche supporting CLL cell survival and proliferation.
- Interactions within the TME contribute to immune escape in CLL patients.
- Specific TME components and immune cell crosstalk facilitate disease progression.
Conclusions:
- The TME plays a critical role in immune evasion in Chronic lymphocytic leukemia.
- Targeting TME-mediated immune escape presents a promising therapeutic avenue for CLL.
- Further research into TME-CLL interactions is essential for developing novel treatments.
Abstract:
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a mature-type B cell malignancy correlated with significant changes and defects in both the innate and adaptive arms of the immune system, together with a high dependency on the tumor microenvironment. Overall, the tumor microenvironment (TME) in CLL provides a supportive niche for leukemic cells to grow and survive, and interactions between CLL cells and the TME can contribute to disease progression and treatment resistance. Therefore, the increasing knowledge of the complicated interaction between immune cells and tumor cells, which is responsible for immune evasion and cancer progression, has provided an opportunity for the development of new therapeutic approaches. In this review, we outline tumor microenvironment-driven contributions to the licensing of immune escape mechanisms in CLL patients.
