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. 2023:378:201-232.
doi: 10.1016/bs.ircmb.2023.03.006. Epub 2023 Apr 17.

Relationship between the tumor microenvironment and the efficacy of the combination of radiotherapy and immunotherapy

Chang Su  1 , Jonathon E Himes  1 , David G Kirsch  2
Affiliations

Relationship between the tumor microenvironment and the efficacy of the combination of radiotherapy and immunotherapy

Chang Su et al. Int Rev Cell Mol Biol. 2023.

Abstract

Activating and recruiting the immune system is critical for successful cancer treatment. Since the discovery of immune checkpoint inhibitors, immunotherapy has become the standard of care for many types of cancers. However, many patients fail to respond to immunotherapy. Further research is needed to understand the mechanisms of resistance and adjuvant therapies that can help sensitize patients to immunotherapies. Here, we will discuss how radiotherapy can change the tumor microenvironment and work synergistically with immunotherapy. We will examine different pre-clinical models focusing on their limitations and their unique advantages in studying the efficacy of treatments and the tumor microenvironment. We will also describe emerging findings from clinical trials testing the combination of immunotherapy and radiotherapy.

Keywords: Clinical trials; GEMM; Immune checkpoint blockade; Immunotherapy; Preclinical models; Radiation therapy; Radiotherapy; Tumor microenvironment.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest D.G.K. receives research support from Merck for preclinical studies and a clinical trial testing radiation therapy with immunotherapy. D.G.K. owns stock and is on the scientific advisory board of Lumicell, which is commercializing intraoperative imaging technology. D.G.K. is a co-founder of Xrad Therapeutics, which is developing radiosensitizers. The D.G.K. laboratory receives research funding from Bristol Myers Squibb, Xrad Therapeutics, and Varian Medical Systems. The other authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

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