The Resistance Mechanisms of Lung Cancer Immunotherapy

Fen Wang; Shubin Wang; Qing Zhou

doi:10.3389/fonc.2020.568059

The Resistance Mechanisms of Lung Cancer Immunotherapy

Front Oncol. 2020 Oct 20:10:568059. doi: 10.3389/fonc.2020.568059. eCollection 2020.

Authors

Fen Wang^{1

2}, Shubin Wang², Qing Zhou¹

Affiliations

¹ Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Translational Medicine in Lung Cancer, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Guangdong Lung Cancer Institute, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China.
² Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Gastrointestinal Cancer Translational Research, Department of Oncology, Cancer Institute of Shenzhen-PKU-HKUST Medical Center, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China.

Abstract

Immunotherapy has revolutionized lung cancer treatment in the past decade. By reactivating the host's immune system, immunotherapy significantly prolongs survival in some advanced lung cancer patients. However, resistance to immunotherapy is frequent, which manifests as a lack of initial response or clinical benefit to therapy (primary resistance) or tumor progression after the initial period of response (acquired resistance). Overcoming immunotherapy resistance is challenging owing to the complex and dynamic interplay among malignant cells and the defense system. This review aims to discuss the mechanisms that drive immunotherapy resistance and the innovative strategies implemented to overcome it in lung cancer.

Keywords: Immune check inhibitor; PD-1/PD-L1; immunotherapy; lung cance; resistance mechanism.

Publication types

Review