What are potential therapeutic strategies to counteract the immunosuppressive TME?
Several therapeutic strategies are being explored to counteract the immunosuppressive TME:
1. Checkpoint Inhibitors: Drugs targeting immune checkpoints like PD-1/PD-L1 and CTLA-4 can reinvigorate exhausted T cells. 2. Targeting Immunosuppressive Cells: Strategies to deplete or reprogram Tregs, MDSCs, and TAMs are being investigated. 3. Cytokine Therapy: Administration of pro-inflammatory cytokines or blocking immunosuppressive cytokines can modulate the TME. 4. ECM Modulation: Enzymes such as hyaluronidase can degrade ECM components, enhancing immune cell infiltration. 5. Metabolic Modulation: Drugs that target metabolic pathways specific to tumor cells can restore the metabolic landscape favorable for immune cells.
