Yu Guanxiao, Gong Jianbao
Qingdao Hospital, University of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Qingdao Municipal Hospital, Qingdao, China.
Front Immunol. 2025 Jul 23;16:1620807. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2025.1620807. eCollection 2025.
Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are a subpopulation of tumor cells that play crucial roles in driving tumor recurrence, metastasis, and resistance to therapies, including chemotherapy and immunotherapy. Growing evidence suggests that interactions between CSCs and immune cells, particularly tumor-associated macrophages, myeloid-derived suppressor cells, and regulatory T cells, create a supportive tumor microenvironment conducive to immune evasion and chemoresistance. Understanding these intricate crosstalk mechanisms, mediated via cytokines, exosomes, and metabolic intermediates, is crucial for the development of effective therapeutic strategies. Here, we comprehensively review recent progress on CSC-immune cell crosstalk, highlighting key signaling pathways and molecular targets. Furthermore, we discuss promising clinical strategies combining conventional therapies with interventions targeting CSC-immune interactions, aiming to enhance immunotherapy efficacy and overcome therapeutic resistance in cancer patients.
癌症干细胞（CSCs）是肿瘤细胞的一个亚群，在驱动肿瘤复发、转移以及对包括化疗和免疫疗法在内的治疗产生抗性方面发挥着关键作用。越来越多的证据表明，癌症干细胞与免疫细胞之间的相互作用，尤其是与肿瘤相关巨噬细胞、髓系来源的抑制性细胞和调节性T细胞之间的相互作用，营造了一个有利于免疫逃逸和化学抗性的支持性肿瘤微环境。了解这些通过细胞因子、外泌体和代谢中间体介导的复杂串扰机制，对于开发有效的治疗策略至关重要。在此，我们全面综述了癌症干细胞与免疫细胞串扰方面的最新进展，突出了关键信号通路和分子靶点。此外，我们还讨论了将传统疗法与针对癌症干细胞 - 免疫相互作用的干预措施相结合的前景广阔的临床策略，旨在提高癌症患者的免疫治疗疗效并克服治疗抗性。
