Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocytes - Cancer Science

What are Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocytes (TILs)?

Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocytes (TILs) are a type of immune cell that has migrated from the blood into a tumor. These cells include various subsets of T cells, B cells, natural killer (NK) cells, and macrophages. They are part of the body's immune response to cancer and can be crucial in the tumor microenvironment.

Why are TILs Important in Cancer?

TILs play a significant role in the body's ability to fight cancer. Their presence often indicates an active immune response against the tumor. Studies have shown that a high density of TILs within a tumor is often associated with a better prognosis and can be a predictor of treatment response. They are particularly important in immunotherapy approaches.

How are TILs Measured and Analyzed?

The presence and density of TILs can be measured using various immunohistochemical techniques. Pathologists typically analyze tumor samples to assess the number and types of lymphocytes present. Advanced techniques such as flow cytometry and single-cell RNA sequencing can provide deeper insights into the specific subtypes and functional states of TILs.

What Role do TILs Play in Immunotherapy?

TILs are central to the effectiveness of many immunotherapies, including checkpoint inhibitors like PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors and CTLA-4 inhibitors. These therapies work by enhancing the activity of TILs against cancer cells. Additionally, TILs can be extracted from a patient's tumor, expanded in the laboratory, and reinfused into the patient, a technique known as adoptive cell transfer.

What are Some Challenges Associated with TILs?

Despite their potential, there are challenges in utilizing TILs for cancer treatment. Not all tumors naturally have a high infiltration of lymphocytes, and some tumors may create an immunosuppressive environment that renders TILs ineffective. Additionally, expanding TILs ex vivo and ensuring their survival and function upon reinfusion can be technically challenging and resource-intensive.

What is the Future of TIL-based Therapies?

The future of TIL-based therapies looks promising with ongoing research focused on improving the techniques for isolating, expanding, and reinfusing these cells. Combining TIL therapy with other treatments like radiotherapy or chemotherapy is also being explored to enhance their effectiveness. Advances in understanding the tumor microenvironment and the mechanisms of immune evasion by cancer cells will further refine TIL-based approaches.

Relevant Publications

Dense tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) in liver metastasis from colorectal cancer are related to improved overall survival.

Issue Release: 2024

IRF4 impedes human CD8 T cell function and promotes cell proliferation and PD-1 expression.

Issue Release: 2024

Identification and validation of tumor-specific T cell receptors from tumor infiltrating lymphocytes using tumor organoid co-cultures.

Issue Release: 2024

Assessment of stromal tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes in neoadjuvant chemotherapy for invasive breast carcinoma: Predictive insights across molecular subtypes.

Issue Release: 2024

Immunohistochemical Profile of Triple-Negative Breast Cancers: SOX10 and AR Dual Negative Tumors Have Worse Outcomes.

Issue Release: 2024

Expression and Prognostic Significance of LAG-3, TIGIT, VISTA, and IDO1 in Endometrial Serous Carcinoma.

Issue Release: 2024

DcR3-associated risk score: correlating better prognosis and enhanced predictive power in colorectal cancer.

Issue Release: 2024

Prognostic biomarker tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes failed to serve as a predictive biomarker for postoperative radiotherapy in completely resected pN2 non-small cell lung cancer: a retrospective analysis.

Issue Release: 2024

Dehydroepiandrosterone attenuated the immune escape of oral squamous cell carcinoma through NF-κB p65/miR-15b-5p/B7-H4 axis.

Issue Release: 2024

Gasdermin E benefits CD8T cell mediated anti-immunity through mitochondrial damage to activate cGAS-STING-interferonβ axis in colorectal cancer.

Issue Release: 2024

Integrated analysis of tertiary lymphoid structures and immune infiltration in ccRCC microenvironment revealed their clinical significances: a multicenter cohort study.

Issue Release: 2024

Expansion of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes in non-small cell lung cancer: Clinical potential and efficacy in EGFR mutation subsets.

Issue Release: 2024

The identification of effective tumor-suppressing neoantigens using a tumor-reactive TIL TCR-pMHC ternary complex.

Issue Release: 2024

Metabolic dialogues: regulators of chimeric antigen receptor T cell function in the tumor microenvironment.

Issue Release: 2024

Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Response in Triple-Negative Apocrine Carcinoma: Comparing Apocrine Morphology, Androgen Receptor, and Immune Phenotypes.

Issue Release: 2024

Prognostic Value of Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes for Patients With Triple-Negative Breast Cancer-Reply.

Issue Release: 2024

The role of cytoreductive nephrectomy in metastatic renal cell carcinoma in immune-oncology era (SEVURO-CN): study protocol for a multi-center, prospective, randomized trial.

Issue Release: 2024

Advancements in Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes: Historical Insights, Contemporary Milestones, and Future Directions in Oncology Therapy.

Issue Release: 2024

Precise Regulation of Reactive Oxygen Species in Tumor Microenvironment for Alleviating Inhibitory Immunogenic Cell Death.

Issue Release: 2024

Aspirin Inhibits Colorectal Cancer via the TIGIT-BCL2-BAX pathway in T Cells.

Issue Release: 2024

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