Tumour immunotherapy: lessons from predator-prey theory

With the burgeoning use of immune-based treatments for cancer, never has there been a greater need to understand the tumour microenvironment within which immune cells function and how it can be perturbed to inhibit tumour growth. Yet, current challenges in identifying optimal combinations of immunotherapies and engineering new cell-based therapies highlight the limitations of conventional paradigms for the study of the tumour microenvironment. Ecology has a rich history of studying predator-prey dynamics to discern factors that drive prey to extinction. Here, we describe the basic tenets of predator-prey theory as applied to 'predation' by immune cells and the 'extinction' of cancer cells. Our synthesis reveals fundamental mechanisms by which antitumour immunity might fail in sometimes counterintuitive ways and provides a fresh yet evidence-based framework to better understand and therapeutically target the immune-cancer interface. Improving on current cancer immunotherapies will require engaging immune effectors beyond T cells alone. Predator-prey theory can reveal understudied and counterintuitive facets of antitumour immunity, inspiring new approaches to manipulate the tumour ecosystem in favour of cancer cell extinction.

Automated summary

This article introduces the application of predator-prey theory to the interaction between immune cells and cancer cells. By revealing the fundamental mechanisms by which antitumour immunity might fail in sometimes counterintuitive ways, it provides a new evidence-based framework to better understand and therapeutically target the immune-cancer interface.