Immunotherapy has become the fourth cancer therapy after surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. In particular, immune checkpoint inhibitors are proved to be unprecedentedly in increasing the overall survival rates of patients with refractory cancers, such as advanced melanoma, non-small cell lung cancer, and renal cell carcinoma. However, inhibitor therapies are only effective in a small proportion of patients with problems, such as side effects and high costs. Therefore, doctors urgently need reliable predictive biomarkers for checkpoint inhibitor therapies to choose the optimal therapies. Here, we review the biomarkers that can serve as potential predictors of the outcomes of immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment, including tumor-specific profiles and tumor microenvironment evaluation and other factors.
Autoantibodies ; blood ; immunology ; Biomarkers, Tumor ; blood ; immunology ; Humans ; Immunotherapy ; Neoplasms ; blood ; therapy ; Tumor Microenvironment

Cancer immunoediting consists of three sequential phases: elimination, equilibrium, and escape. For colorectal adenoma-carcinoma sequence, the adenoma dysplastic progression may represent an equilibrium phase and the cancer stage as escape phase. Immune system eliminates transformed enterocytes by destroying them at first, sculpts them at the same time and selects the variants subsequently that are no longer recognized and insensitive to immune effectors, and finally induces immunosuppressive state within the tumor microenvironment that facilitates immune escape and tumor outgrowth. Immunosuppression and inflammation are the two crucial features of Pi (Spleen)-deficiency. Classic quotations, immune evidence and clinical observations suggest that Spleen (but not other organs) deficiency is the key pathogenesis of colorectal cancer (CRC) microenvironment. Weakness of old age, immunosuppressive cytokines from chronic inflammation, tumor-derived immunosuppressive factors and surrendered immune cells-regulatory T cells, myeloid-derived suppressor cells and tumor associated macrophages (TAMs) constitutes CRC microenvironment of Pi-deficiency. Furthermore, excess in superficiality, such as phlegm stagnation, blood stasis and toxin accumulation are induced by chronic inflammation on the basis of asthenia in origin, an immunosuppressive state. Great masters of Chinese medicine emphasize that strengthen Pi is the chief therapeutic principle for CRC which receives good therapeutic effects. So, Pi-deficiency based syndrome is the pivotal pathogenesis of tumor microenvironment. The immunosuppressive microenvironment facilitates immune escape which play an important role in the transition from adenoma to adenocarcinoma. There are some signs that strengthen Pi based treatment has potential capacity to ameliorate tumor environment. It might be a novel starting point to explore the mechanism of strengthen Pi based therapy in the prevention and treatment of CRC through regulation of tumor environment and immunoediting.
Colorectal Neoplasms ; immunology ; Humans ; Immune Evasion ; Immunosuppression ; Spleen ; immunology ; Syndrome ; Tumor Microenvironment ; immunology

Cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are important components of the tumor microenvironment. Through secreting of multiple growth factors, cytokines and proteases, CAFs play a significant role in regulating the recruitment and function of various innate immune cells and adaptive immune cells in tumor microenvironment. In addition, extracellular matrix secreted by CAFs can also promote the formation of immunosuppression and hypoxia of tumor microenvironment. Here, we review the progress on CAFs in regulation of immune cells and tumor immunity.
Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts ; Extracellular Matrix ; immunology ; Humans ; Neoplasms ; immunology ; physiopathology ; Tumor Microenvironment ; immunology

Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma cells including lymphoma stem cells reside in a specific microenvironment in which a series of nonmalignant bystander cells and cytokines play a crucial role in the genesis and development of non-Hodgkin's lymphomas. In addition, tumor microenvironment has important prognostic significance in Non-Hodgkin's lymphomas. Blocking the cross-talk between the tumor microenvironment and lymphoma cells may thus represent a promising new strategy for treating Non-Hodgkin's lymphomas. This review summarizes the current advance in studies of the tumor microenvironment and non-Hodgkin's lymphomas, including cells in tumor microenvironment, role of mesenchymal stem cells and stromal cells, auxiliary role of T cell subsets, macrcphage and dentritic cells, cytokines, immune surveillance and so on.
Cytokines ; immunology ; Dendritic Cells ; immunology ; Humans ; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin ; immunology ; Macrophages ; immunology ; T-Lymphocyte Subsets ; immunology ; Tumor Microenvironment

The immune microenvironment plays an important role in the occurrence and development of breast cancer. The infiltrating immune cells and the produced inflammatory cytokines in the tumor microenvironment regulate the growth, proliferation and metastasis of breast cancer. In this article, the roles and related mechanisms of nonspecific immune microenvironment in breast cancer are summarized, focusing on the natural killer cells, dendritic cells, myeloid derived suppressor cells, tumor associated macrophages, interleukins, chemokines, tumor necrosis factor-α, transforming growth factor-β and so on.
Breast Neoplasms ; immunology ; physiopathology ; Chemokines ; immunology ; Dendritic Cells ; immunology ; Humans ; Macrophages ; immunology ; Research ; trends ; Tumor Microenvironment ; immunology

Animals ; Cell Transformation, Neoplastic ; genetics ; immunology ; China ; Humans ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Neovascularization, Pathologic ; Signal Transduction ; genetics ; immunology ; Tumor Microenvironment ; genetics ; immunology

Tumor microenvironment is defined as a heterogeneous complex composed of cancer cells, vascular endothelial cells, fibroblasts, and diverse immune cells. Cancer immunology is the study of interactions between the immune system and cancer cells which is applied to develop therapeutic strategies for human cancers. This review focused on tumor promoting myeloid derived cells such as tumor associated macrophages (TAM) and myeloid derived suppressor cells (MDSC) and their therapeutic applications.
Allergy and Immunology ; Endothelial Cells ; Fibroblasts ; Humans ; Immune System ; Macrophages ; Tumor Microenvironment

Gastric cancer is the second most common cause of cancer-related death in the world. A growing body of evidence indicates that inflammation is closely associated with the initiation, progression, and metastasis of many tumors, including those of gastric cancer. In addition, approximately 60% of the world's population is colonized by Helicobacter pylori, which accounts for more than 50% of gastric cancers. While the role of inflammation in intestinal and colonic cancers is relatively well defined, its role in stomach neoplasia is still unclear because of the limited access of pathogens to the acidic environment and the technical difficulties isolating and characterizing immune cells in the stomach, especially in animal models. In this review, we will provide recent updates addressing how inflammation is involved in gastric malignancies, and what immune characteristics regulate the pathogenesis of stomach cancer. Also, we will discuss potential therapeutics that target the immune system for the efficient treatment of gastric cancer.
Adaptive Immunity/*immunology ; B-Lymphocytes/immunology ; Cytokines/immunology ; Gastritis/immunology ; Helicobacter Infections/immunology ; Helicobacter pylori/immunology ; Humans ; Immunity, Innate/*immunology ; Immunotherapy/methods ; Receptors, Cytokine/immunology ; Stomach Neoplasms/diagnosis/*immunology/therapy ; T-Lymphocytes/immunology ; Tumor Microenvironment/*immunology

The link between nonresolving inflammation and cancer is well documented. On the one hand, epidemiologic evidence supports that approximately 25% of all human cancer worldwide is caused by nonresolving inflammation. On the other hand, inflammatory cells are found in the microenvironment of most, if not all, tumors. In the tumor micro-environment, inflammatory cells and molecules influence almost every aspect of cancer. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) participate in the initiation and progression of nonresolving inflammation-related cancer by regulating the key genes and related signaling pathways. Further investigation into the molecular mechanisms by which miRNAs carry out their functions will be of great value in the prevention, early diagnosis, and treatment of tumors.
Chronic Disease ; Humans ; Inflammation ; complications ; genetics ; immunology ; Inflammation Mediators ; immunology ; MicroRNAs ; genetics ; Neoplasms ; etiology ; genetics ; Tumor Microenvironment

Immune checkpoint inhibitors are a promising strategy in the treatment of cancer, especially advanced types. However, not all patients are responsive to immune checkpoint inhibitors. The response rate depends on the immune microenvironment, tumor mutational burden (TMB), expression level of immune checkpoint proteins, and molecular subtypes of cancers. Along with the Cancer Genome Project, various open access databases, including The Cancer Genome Atlas and Gene Expression Omnibus, provide large volumes of data, which allow researchers to explore responsive or resistant biomarkers of immune checkpoint inhibitors. In this review, we introduced some methodologies on database selection, biomarker screening, current progress of immune checkpoint blockade in solid tumor treatment, possible mechanisms of drug resistance, strategies of overcoming resistance, and indications for immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy.
Biomarkers, Tumor ; blood ; immunology ; Data Mining ; Drug Resistance, Neoplasm ; Humans ; Immunotherapy ; Mutation ; Neoplasms ; genetics ; therapy ; Tumor Microenvironment