Tumor-targeting bacteria as immune stimulants - the future of cancer immunotherapy?

Crit Rev Microbiol. 2024 Feb 12:1-16. doi: 10.1080/1040841X.2024.2311653. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTCancer immunotherapies have been widely hailed as a breakthrough for cancer treatment in the last decade, epitomized by the unprecedented results observed with checkpoint blockade. Even so, only a minority of patients currently achieve durable remissions. In general, responsive patients appear to have either a high number of tumor neoantigens, a preexisting immune cell infiltrate in the tumor microenvironment, or an 'immune-active' transcriptional profile, determined in part by the presence of a type I interferon gene signature. These observations suggest that the therapeutic efficacy of immunotherapy can be enhanced through strategies that release tumor neoantigens and/or produce a pro-inflammatory tumor microenvironment. In principle, exogenous tumor-targeting bacteria offer a unique solution for improving responsiveness to immunotherapy. This review discusses how tumor-selective bacterial infection can modulate the immunological microenvironment of the tumor and the potential for combination with cancer immunotherapy strategies to further increase therapeutic efficacy. In addition, we provide a perspective on the clinical translation of replicating bacterial therapies, with a focus on the challenges that must be resolved to ensure a successful outcome.PMID:38346140 | DOI:10.1080/1040841X.2024.2311653
Source: Critical Reviews in Microbiology - Category: Microbiology Authors: Source Type: research