Cancer stem cell-immune cell collusion in immunotherapy

Immunotherapy has pioneered a new era of tumor treatment, in which the immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) exerts significant superiority in overcoming tumor immune escape. However, the formation of an immune-suppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) and the lack of effective activation of the immune response have become major obstacles limiting its development. Emerging reports indicate that cancer stem cells (CSCs) potentially play important roles in treatment resistance and progressive relapse, while current research is usually focused on CSCs themselves. In this review, we mainly emphasize the collusions between CSCs and tumor-infiltrating immune cells. We focus on the summary of CSC-immune cell crosstalk signaling pathways in ICB resistance and highlight the application of targeted drugs to improve the ICB response.

Automated summary

Immunotherapy, specifically immune checkpoint blockade (ICB), has shown significant superiority in overcoming tumor immune escape. However, the formation of an immune-suppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) and the lack of effective activation of the immune response are limiting its development. This review focuses on the collusions between cancer stem cells (CSCs) and tumor-infiltrating immune cells, highlighting the importance of CSC-immune cell crosstalk in ICB resistance and the potential application of targeted drugs to improve the ICB response.