Cancer Center, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130021, Jilin, China.
Chin Med J (Engl). 2021 May 19;134(11):1267-1275. doi: 10.1097/CM9.0000000000001490.
Immunotherapy has opened a new era in cancer treatment. Drugs represented by immune checkpoint inhibitors have led to important breakthroughs in the treatment of various solid tumors, greatly improving the survival rate of cancer patients. Many types of immunotherapeutic drugs have become widely available; however, their efficacy is variable, and relatively few patients with advanced cancer experience life-altering durable survival, reflecting the complex and highly regulated nature of the immune system. The research field of cancer immunotherapy (CIT) still faces many challenges in pursuing the broader social goal of "curing cancer." Increasing attention has been paid to strengthening the understanding of the molecular or cellular drivers of resistance to immunotherapy, actively exploring more effective therapeutic targets, and developing combination therapy strategies. Here, we review the key challenges that have emerged in the era of CIT and the possible solutions or development directions to overcome these difficulties, providing relevant references for basic research and the development of modified clinical treatment regimens.
免疫疗法开启了癌症治疗的新纪元。以免疫检查点抑制剂为代表的药物在治疗各种实体肿瘤方面取得了重要突破，极大地提高了癌症患者的生存率。许多类型的免疫治疗药物已经广泛应用；然而，它们的疗效各不相同，只有相对较少的晚期癌症患者经历了改变生活的持久生存，这反映了免疫系统的复杂性和高度调节性。癌症免疫治疗（CIT）的研究领域在追求“治愈癌症”这一更广泛的社会目标方面仍然面临许多挑战。人们越来越关注加强对免疫治疗耐药性的分子或细胞驱动因素的理解，积极探索更有效的治疗靶点，并开发联合治疗策略。在这里，我们回顾了 CIT 时代出现的关键挑战以及克服这些困难的可能解决方案或发展方向，为基础研究和改良临床治疗方案的制定提供了相关参考。
