Immune cells in residual disease and recurrence

Tumor recurrence following potentially curative therapy constitutes a major obstacle to achieving cures in patients with cancer. Recurrent tumors frequently arise from a population of residual cancer cells - also referred to as minimal residual disease (RD) or persister cells - that survive therapy and persist for prolonged periods prior to tumor relapse. While there has been significant recent progress in deciphering tumor-cell-intrinsic pathways that regulate residual cancer cell survival and recurrence, much less is known about how the tumor microenvironment (TME) of residual tumors impacts persister cancer cells or tumor recurrence. In this review, we highlight recent studies exploring the regulation and function of immune cells in RD and discuss therapeutic opportunities to target immune cells in residual tumors.

Automated summary

Tumor recurrence is a major challenge in achieving cures for cancer patients. Residual cancer cells, also known as minimal residual disease or persister cells, survive therapy and persist for extended periods before causing tumor relapse. While progress has been made in understanding the tumor-intrinsic pathways regulating the survival of residual cancer cells, the impact of the tumor microenvironment on persister cells and tumor recurrence remains less understood. This review highlights recent studies on the regulation and function of immune cells in residual disease and discusses therapeutic opportunities for targeting immune cells in residual tumors.