review · International Journal of Molecular Sciences
The tumour microenvironment comprises blood vessels, fibroblasts, immune cells, signalling molecules, exosomes, and the extracellular matrix surrounding a malignancy. Alterations within this environment are recognised drivers of tumour growth, immune evasion, and metastasis, making them critical targets for cancer detection and treatment. Immune cells and surrounding components can either accelerate or obstruct disease progression under cancerous conditions. In particular, tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes, consisting of B and T cells, are able to infiltrate tumours and strengthen the immune system to recognise and destroy malignant cells. Concurrently, exosomes and inflammasomes play dual roles, either promoting or restraining disease progression depending on the specific tumour type, inflammasome form, and exosome origin. Understanding these dynamic cell interactions and microenvironmental components offers valuable pathways for developing safer, more durable cancer therapies aimed at improving patient survival rates.
Cancer treatments often fail when malignant cells evade detection or change their immediate surroundings to support growth and metastasis. Understanding how surrounding cells, immune defenders, and molecular messengers interact provides the foundation for designing treatments that empower the body's natural defences. This knowledge can guide interventions that stop tumours from spreading and improve long-term patient outcomes.
The abstract outlines therapeutic targets rather than practical products, focusing on foundational insights into tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes, exosomes, and inflammasomes. These biological mechanisms could inform future drug discovery and immunotherapy development conducted by biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies. However, because the work synthesises conceptual understanding rather than testing specific interventions or formulations, any commercial application remains at an early research stage far from immediate clinical translation.
AI-generated from the published abstract. Always read the original work before citing.
Understanding how different contributors within the tumor microenvironment (TME) function and communicate is essential for effective cancer detection and treatment. The TME encompasses all the surroundings of a tumor such as blood vessels, fibroblasts, immune cells, signaling molecules, exosomes, and the extracellular matrix (ECM). Subsequently, effective cancer therapy relies on addressing TME alterations, known drivers of tumor progression, immune evasion, and metastasis. Immune cells and other cell types act differently under cancerous conditions, either driving or hindering cancer progression. For instance, tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) include lymphocytes of B and T cell types that can invade malignancies, bringing in and enhancing the ability of immune system to recognize and destroy cancer cells. Therefore, TILs display a promising approach to tackling the TME alterations and have the capability to significantly hinder cancer progression. Similarly, exosomes and inflammasomes exhibit a dual effect, resulting in either tumor progression or inhibition depending on the origin of exosomes, type of inflammasome and tumor. This review will explore how cells function in the presence of a tumor, the communication between cancer cells and immune cells, and the role of TILs, exosomes and inflammasomes within the TME. The efforts in this review are aimed at garnering interest in safer and durable therapies for cancer, in addition to providing a promising avenue for advancing cancer therapy and consequently improving survival rates.
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DOI: 10.3390/ijms26062716
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