| Title: |
Pre-Existing Immunity Shapes Cancer Immunotherapy Efficacy. |
| Authors: |
Xagara, Anastasia; Koinis, Filippos; Tsapakidis, Konstantinos; Samaras, Ioannis; Chantzara, Evangelia; Vasilieva, Konstantina; Lazarou, Alexandros; Georgoulias, Vassilis; Kotsakis, Athanasios |
| Source: |
Onco; Mar2026, Vol. 6 Issue 1, p4, 14p |
| Subject Terms: |
Immunity; T cells; Immune checkpoint inhibitors; Immunosuppression; Biomarkers; Immunotherapy; Tumor microenvironment |
| Abstract: |
Simple Summary: Immunotherapy has significantly improved outcomes for several cancer types by enhancing the ability of the immune system to recognize and eliminate tumor cells. Despite these advances, many patients do not respond or eventually develop resistance. Increasing evidence indicates that the immune status of a patient before treatment, known as pre-existing immunity, is a major determinant of therapeutic success. Immune cells already present within the tumor or in the peripheral blood can influence both tumor progression and response to immune-based therapies. Understanding how these cells are regulated, how they become dysfunctional, and how tumors evade their activity is essential for improving treatment strategies. This review summarizes current knowledge on the role of pre-existing immune cells, particularly T-cell subsets, in shaping responses to immune checkpoint inhibitors and cancer vaccines. These insights may assist in identifying patients who are more likely to benefit and in designing more effective immunotherapy combinations. Immunotherapy has revolutionized the management of patients with cancer. Immune checkpoint inhibition (ICI) is a promising treatment option that targets the molecular mechanisms that cancer cells exploit to prevent immune-mediated elimination. ICI therapy can cause exceptional long-term tumor remissions, in some cases, even after treatment discontinuation. Despite its success, many patients acquire resistance or fail to respond due to immune escape mechanisms mediated by the tumor and its microenvironment. Pre-existing immunity status of individuals seems to play a fundamental role in immunotherapy response and eventually tumor progression, as it orchestrates tumor-immune interactions. Different immune cell subsets, both in the tumor microenvironment and the peripheral blood, are established mediators that contribute to immune escape in various tumor types. Based on these findings, the elucidation of the mechanisms implicated in the regulation of these immune cells has become a priority for investigators focused on improving the efficacy of ICI. This will be essential for identifying responders as well as for developing novel therapeutic modalities to improve clinical outcomes. Herein, we summarize preclinical and clinical evidence proposing a predictive role of pre-existing immunity for clinical responses to immunotherapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| : |
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| Database: |
Complementary Index |