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MINI REVIEW article

Front. Immunol.
Sec. Cancer Immunity and Immunotherapy
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1522508
This article is part of the Research Topic Unlocking the Metabolic Dynamics of Tumor Microenvironment through Radiotherapy: Bridging Pre-Clinical Insights to Clinical Applications View all articles

Radioimmunotherapy: A Game-Changer for Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Provisionally accepted
Huichan Xue Huichan Xue 1Yunshang Chen Yunshang Chen 1*Yun Zhou Yun Zhou 2*
  • 1 Cancer Center, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
  • 2 Department of Pediatric Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China., Wuhan, China

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

    Lung cancer, particularly non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), remains a leading cause of cancer-related deaths, with conventional treatments offering limited effectiveness in advanced stages, due to distant metastases and treatment resistance. Recent advancements in immunotherapy, specifically immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), have shown promise, but their efficacy as standalone therapies is often insufficient. This has led to increased interest in combining ICIs with radiotherapy, known as radioimmunotherapy (iRT), to enhance treatment outcomes. This review explores the mechanisms that underlie the synergy between radiotherapy and immunotherapy. Radiotherapy can induce the "abscopal effect," eliciting systemic immune responses that reduce tumor burdens outside the treated area. It also increases the expression of major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC-I) on tumor cells, improving immune recognition. Furthermore, radiotherapy can modify the tumor microenvironment by inducing metabolic reprogramming to bolster anti-tumor immunity. We discuss strategies for optimizing iRT, including considerations of radiation doses, fractionation schedules, and treatment site selection, which significantly influence immune responses by enhancing MHC-I expression or promoting T-cell infiltration. Clinical evidence supports the efficacy of iRT in NSCLC and other cancers, though challenges in standardizing treatment protocols and managing side effects persist. Overall, radioimmunotherapy presents a promising approach to improving NSCLC treatment outcomes. Ongoing research into its mechanisms and the refinement of treatment strategies may reshape clinical practice, offering more effective and personalized options for patients with advanced lung cancer. Further studies are essential to validate these findings and optimize therapeutic protocols.

    Keywords: NSCLC, Immunotherapy, Radiotherapy, combination therapy, Clinical perspective

    Received: 04 Nov 2024; Accepted: 18 Nov 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Xue, Chen and Zhou. 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:
    Yunshang Chen, Cancer Center, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, Hubei Province, China
    Yun Zhou, Department of Pediatric Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China., Wuhan, 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.