Tumor immunotherapy leverages the body's immune system to target and eradicate cancer cells, offering a crucial treatment for patients unresponsive to surgery or conventional therapies. Despite its potential, the effectiveness of immunotherapy is often hindered by T cell exhaustion within the tumor microenvironment, leading to diminished immune response and tumor progression. Based on these challenges, exploring the role of progenitor exhausted T cells (Tpex) in overcoming immune resistance is essential for advancing immunotherapeutic strategies and improving clinical outcomes.
Researchers from the Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, publishing a review (DOI:10.20892/j.issn.
2095-3941.2024.0105) in Cancer Biology & Medicine on May 31st, 2024, have delved into the characteristics and potential of progenitor exhausted CD8 + T (Tpex) cells in tumor immunotherapy.
This review elucidates how Tpex cells, marked by their robust self-renewal and proliferative capacities, can transform into responsive exhausted CD8 + T cells, offering new avenues for cancer treatment. The review reveals that Tpex cells, identified by their TCF-1 and PD-1 markers, are crucial in the tumor microenvironment. These cells exhibit stem cell-like properties, enabling them to self-renew and proliferate, thus sustaining long-term immune responses.
The research highlights a strong correlation between the abundance of Tpex cells and improved clinical outcomes in cancer patients, suggesting that targe.