Seo Eun Sang, Lee Sung-Kyu, Son Young Min
Department of Systems Biotechnology, Chung-Ang University, Anseong, 17546, Republic of Korea.
Cancer Immunol Immunother. 2025 Apr 26;74(6):184. doi: 10.1007/s00262-025-04035-x.
Tissue-resident memory T (T) cells are well reported as a strong protective first line of defense against foreign antigens in non-lymphoid tissues. Moreover, T cells have demonstrated critical protective roles in antitumor immunity, contributing to enhanced survival and tumor growth inhibition across various cancer types. However, surprisingly, recent studies suggest that T cells can exhibit paradoxical effects, potentially promoting tumor progression under certain conditions and leading to adverse outcomes during antitumor immune responses. Understanding the complexities of T cell functions will enable us to harness their potential in advancing cancer immunotherapy more effectively. Therefore, this review comprehensively investigates the dual roles of T cells in different tumor contexts, highlighting their protective functions in combating cancers and their unfavorable potential to exacerbate tumor development. Additionally, we explore the implications of T cell behaviors for future cancer treatment strategies, emphasizing the need for further research to optimize the therapeutic exploitation of T cells while mitigating their deleterious effects.
组织驻留记忆T（T）细胞作为非淋巴组织中抵御外来抗原的强大保护性第一道防线已有充分报道。此外，T细胞在抗肿瘤免疫中已显示出关键的保护作用，有助于提高各种癌症类型的生存率并抑制肿瘤生长。然而，令人惊讶的是，最近的研究表明，T细胞可能表现出矛盾的作用，在某些情况下可能促进肿瘤进展，并在抗肿瘤免疫反应期间导致不良后果。了解T细胞功能的复杂性将使我们能够更有效地利用它们在推进癌症免疫治疗方面的潜力。因此，本综述全面研究了T细胞在不同肿瘤背景下的双重作用，突出了它们在对抗癌症中的保护功能以及它们加剧肿瘤发展的不利潜力。此外，我们探讨了T细胞行为对未来癌症治疗策略的影响，强调需要进一步研究以优化T细胞的治疗应用，同时减轻其有害影响。
