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MINI REVIEW article

Front. Immunol.
Sec. Cancer Immunity and Immunotherapy
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1507501
This article is part of the Research Topic Dissecting the Role of T Cell Exhaustion in Cancer Progression: A Multifaceted Approach View all 3 articles

Targeting T Cell Exhaustion: Emerging Strategies in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Provisionally accepted
Xianqiang Liu Xianqiang Liu 1,2Xiaowei Xi Xiaowei Xi 3Shengshan Xu Shengshan Xu 1*Hongyu Chu Hongyu Chu 4Penghui Hu Penghui Hu 5Dong Li Dong Li 6Bin Zhang Bin Zhang 7Hejie Liu Hejie Liu 1Tianxiao Jiang Tianxiao Jiang 8Zhuming Lu Zhuming Lu 1
  • 1 Department of Thoracic Surgery, Jiangmen Central Hospital, Jiangmen, China
  • 2 People's Liberation Army General Hospital, Beijing, China
  • 3 TUM school of Medicine and Health, Munich, Germany
  • 4 Department of Gastrointestinal, Colorectal and Anal Surgery, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Hebei Province, China
  • 5 Scientific Research and Education Department, Jiangmen Central Hospital, Jiangmen, China
  • 6 Department of Intensive Care Unit and Clinical Experimental Center, Jiangmen Central Hospital, Jiangmen, China
  • 7 Department of Cardiovascular Disease and Clinical Experimental Center, Jiangmen Central Hospital, Jiangmen, China
  • 8 Department of General, Visceral, and Transplant Surgery, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany

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

    Lung cancer continues to be a major contributor to cancer-related deaths globally. Recent advances in immunotherapy have introduced promising treatments targeting T cell functionality. Central to the efficacy of these therapies is the role of T cells, which are often rendered dysfunctional due to continuous antigenic stimulation in the tumor microenvironment–a condition referred to as T cell exhaustion. This review addresses the critical challenge of T cell exhaustion in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), offering a detailed examination of its molecular underpinnings and the resultant therapeutic ineffectiveness. We synthesize current knowledge on the drivers of T cell exhaustion, evaluate emerging strategies for its reversal, and explore the potential impact of these insights for enhancing the clinical efficacy of immunotherapies. By consolidating reported clinical trials and preclinical studies, this article highlights innovative approaches to modulate immune responses and improve patient outcomes, thus providing a roadmap for future research and therapeutic development in lung cancer immunotherapy.

    Keywords: t cell exhaustion, Immunotherapy, Non-small cell lung cancer, Cytokines, immune checkpoint inhibitors

    Received: 07 Oct 2024; Accepted: 22 Nov 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Liu, Xi, Xu, Chu, Hu, Li, Zhang, Liu, Jiang and Lu. 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: Shengshan Xu, Department of Thoracic Surgery, Jiangmen Central Hospital, Jiangmen, 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.