Restoring the Immunity in the Tumor Microenvironment: Insights into Immunogenic Cell Death in Onco-Therapies

Cancers (Basel). 2021 Jun 5;13(11):2821. doi: 10.3390/cancers13112821.

Abstract

Immunogenic cell death (ICD) elicited by cancer therapy reshapes the tumor immune microenvironment. A long-term adaptative immune response can be initiated by modulating cell death by therapeutic approaches. Here, the major hallmarks of ICD, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, and damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) are correlated with ICD inducers used in clinical practice to enhance antitumoral activity by suppressing tumor immune evasion. Approaches to monitoring the ICD triggered by antitumoral therapeutics in the tumor microenvironment (TME) and novel perspective in this immune system strategy are also reviewed to give an overview of the relevance of ICD in cancer treatment.

Keywords: DAMPs; ICD inducers; apoptosis; autophagy; chemotherapy; immunogenic cell death; immunotherapy; natural products; necroptosis; tumor microenvironment.

Publication types

  • Review