Cancer medicine
Targeting the Tumor Microenvironment Network to Overcome Immunotherapy Resistance in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Mechanisms to Clinical Translation
By Wang Z, Luo Z, Wang L and 3 others.
Abstract
Background
Immunotherapy has transformed the treatment landscape for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), yet resistance mediated by the tumor microenvironment (TME) limits its efficacy in most patients. This review aims to synthesize the current understanding of the TME as an integrated network driving immunotherapy resistance and to evaluate emerging therapeutic strategies aimed at overcoming it.
Methods
We conducted a comprehensive narrative review of key literature in the field, sourced from PubMed and major conference proceedings. The focus was on mechanistic studies elucidating immunosuppressive cell circuits, metabolic reprogramming, epigenetic regulation, spatial heterogeneity, and microbiome interactions within the lung cancer TME. Preclinical and clinical evidence for TME-targeted combination therapies and biomarker development was also critically analyzed.