Tumor microenvironment in thyroid cancer: Immune cells, patterns, and novel treatments

Head Neck. 2024 Jun;46(6):1486-1499. doi: 10.1002/hed.27695. Epub 2024 Feb 21.

Abstract

The tumor immune microenvironment of thyroid cancer is the heterogeneous histological space in which tumor cells coexist with host cells. Published data from this review were identified by search and selection database of Pubmed, Elsevier, and Science Direct. Searching was made in two steps using different keywords. In thyroid pathology, the inflammatory response is very important, and might have a key role finding new diagnostic and therapeutic methods, particularly in thyroid cancer. Different immune cells may be more or less present in different types of thyroid cancer and may even have different functions, hence the importance of knowing their presence in different thyroid tumor pathologies. Cancer-related inflammation could be a useful target for new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies by analyzing peritumoral and intratumoral immune cells in different types of thyroid tumors. Moreover, novel strategies for thyroid cancer treatments, such as monoclonal antibodies targeting checkpoint inhibitors, are emerging as promising alternatives.

Keywords: anaplastic thyroid carcinoma; immune cells; immune checkpoints; medullary thyroid carcinoma; papillary thyroid carcinoma; tumor microenvironment.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Humans
  • Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors / therapeutic use
  • Thyroid Neoplasms* / immunology
  • Thyroid Neoplasms* / pathology
  • Thyroid Neoplasms* / therapy
  • Tumor Microenvironment* / immunology

Substances

  • Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors