Cytokine Therapy in the Tumor Microenvironment
Abstract With the emergence of checkpoint inhibitors, anticancer immunotherapy has entered an era of unprecedented success. Yet, only a minority of patients experience long lasting remission, sparking a search for potent combination therapies. The tumor microenvironment and its cytokine network are crucial determinants in anticancer immunity. Thus, employing cytokines to modulate tumor stroma in conjunction with immunotherapy provides a unique opportunity to fight cancer. However, therapeutic cytokine applications are still broad, systemic, and often toxic. To advance the field and to overcome immune suppression locally, specific cytokine targeting strategies are required, which exploit the inherent plasticity of the tumor environment. The challenge ahead is, therefore, to reprogram paracrine signaling networks by using physiological cytokine doses in an effective spatio temporal setting. By these means, cytokines could significantly boost the success of current anticancer immune therapies.