Clinical implications of T cell exhaustion for cancer immunotherapy

Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology, Published online: 10 October 2022; doi:10.1038/s41571-022-00689-zT cells are key effectors of immunotherapies that have revolutionized the treatment of cancer; however, chronic exposure to tumour-associated antigens can result in progressive loss of T cell effector functions and self-renewal capacity, a state termed ‘T cell exhaustion’ that is believed to limit the efficacy of immunotherapy. This Review synthesizes the new immunobiological insights that present a more nuanced view beyond T cell exhaustion being entirely undesirable and indicate that this hypofunctional state might be as much a reflection as it is the cause of poor tumour control. Hence, the authors describe how, in certain contexts, interruption of this programme could impair T cell persistence and discuss interventions to mitigate the development of T cell exhaustion that might ultimately improve clinical outcomes.
Source: Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology - Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Source Type: research