Stem cell like memory T cells: A new paradigm in cancer immunotherapy

Stem cell like memory T (T-SCM) cells have emerged as the apex of memory T cell differentiation for their properties of self-renewal and replenishing progenies. With potent long-term persistence, proliferative capacity and antitumor activity, T-SCM cells were thought to be the ideal candidate for cancer immunotherapies. Several strategies have been proposed, such as manipulations of cytokines, metabolic factors, signal pathways, and T cell receptor signal intensity, to induce more T-SCM cells in vitro, in the hope that they could reach a clinical order of magnitude to provide more long-lasting and effective anti-tumor effects in vivo. In this review, we summarized the differentiation characteristics of T-SCM cells and strategies to generate more T-SCM cells. We focused on their roles and application in the cancer immunotherapy especially in adoptive cell transfer therapy and cancer therapeutic vaccines, and hopefully provided clues for future understanding and researches.

Automated summary

Memory T stem cell (T-SCM) cells are considered the pinnacle of memory T cell differentiation due to their self-renewal and replenishing properties. Manipulations of cytokines, metabolic factors, signal pathways, and T cell receptor signal intensity have been proposed to induce more T-SCM cells, which could potentially provide long-lasting and effective anti-tumor effects in cancer immunotherapies. This review summarizes the differentiation characteristics of T-SCM cells and strategies to generate more T-SCM cells, with a focus on their roles and applications in adoptive cell transfer therapy and cancer therapeutic vaccines.