MOLECULAR MECHANISMS OF IMMUNE EVASION IN TUMOR MICROENVIRONMENTS: INSIGHTS INTO CANCER PROGRESSION AND THERAPEUTIC STRATEGIES

Abstract

The ability of tumors to escape immunological detection and destruction serves cancer progression and metastasis. The tumor microenvironment (TME) can suppress the antitumor immune response of the host through multilevel immune evasion, which includes immune checkpoints activation, regulatory T (Treg) cell expansion, tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), immune exosome modulation, and metabolic reprogramming. The overwhelming of these mechanisms allows malignant tumor cells to sustain and expand unchecked. The mechanisms that are at work facilitating immune evasion are crucial for the formulation of new immunotherapeutic methods of treating cancer. As the general approaches of solving the formulated problem, as well as diagnosing and correcting the cancer treatment, are set forth in this review by examining one of the most important aspects of the TME, the immune evasion mechanisms, their contribution to the cancer disease, and new treatment methods focused on immune evasion prevention are presented in the most recent publications. It has been concluded that Immune evasion will take place in the TME, which faces the effects of tumor progression and metastasis. Targeting the immune checkpoint, modulating the components of TME, or reversing the changes that occurred in metabolism all show promise and avenues for treating cancers. Therefore, having a better understanding of these mechanisms will create a room for advancement in the process of developing more effective interventions in immunotherapy to improve patient outcomes.