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MINI REVIEW article

Front. Immunol.
Sec. Cancer Immunity and Immunotherapy
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1436174
This article is part of the Research Topic The Role of Ubiquitination in Disease Development, Progression, and Prognosis View all 3 articles

The ubiquitin-proteasome system in the tumor immune microenvironment in: a key force in combination therapy

Provisionally accepted
Yongmei Wang Yongmei Wang 1Saisai Li Saisai Li 2Wenqin Wang Wenqin Wang 3*
  • 1 Breast Center, Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong Province, China
  • 2 The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong Province, China
  • 3 School of Life Sciences, Shandong University, Jinan, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    The ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) plays a crucial role in modulating the proliferation, activation, and normal functioning of immune cells through the regulation of protein degradation and function. By influencing the expression of immune checkpoint-associated proteins, the UPS modulates T cell-mediated anti-tumor immune responses and can potentially facilitate the immune escape of tumor cells. Additionally, the UPS contributes to the remodeling of the tumor immunosuppressive microenvironment (TIME) by regulating B cells, dendritic cells (DCs), macrophages, and Treg cells. Targeting the UPS in conjunction with immune checkpoint-associated proteins, and combining these with other therapeutic approaches, may significantly enhance the efficacy of combination therapies and pave the way for novel cancer treatment strategies. In this review, we first summarize the composition and alterations of the TIME, with a particular emphasis on the role of the UPS in TIME and its interactions with various immune cell types. Finally, we explore the potential of combining UPS-targeted therapies with immunotherapy to substantially improve the effectiveness of immunotherapy and enhance patient survival outcomes.

    Keywords: UPS, time, immune cells, Immunotherapy, Cancer

    Received: 21 May 2024; Accepted: 26 Aug 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Wang, Li and Wang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Wenqin Wang, School of Life Sciences, Shandong University, Jinan, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.