Harnessing Antitumor CD4+ T Cells for Cancer Immunotherapy
by
, and
Myriam Ben Khelil
1
,
Yann Godet
1,
Syrine Abdeljaoued
1,2,
Christophe Borg
1,2,
Olivier Adotévi
1,2,† and
Romain Loyon
1,*,† 1
UMR1098, EFS BFC, INSERM, Interactions Hôte-Greffon-Tumeur/Ingénierie Cellulaire et Génique, University of Bourgogne Franche-Comté, F-25000 Besançon, France
2
Department of Medical Oncology, University Hospital of Besançon, F-25000 Besançon, France
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
†
These authors contribute equally to this work.
Cancers 2022, 14(1), 260; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers14010260
Submission received: 29 November 2021
/
Revised: 22 December 2021
/
Accepted: 31 December 2021
/
Published: 5 January 2022
(This article belongs to the Special Issue CD4 T Cells and Cancer Immune Response)
Simple Summary
Diverse evidence revealed that CD4+ T cells play an important role in antitumor immunity by promoting or suppressing cytotoxic T cell responses. This review outlines the role of CD4+ T subsets within the tumor microenvironment and summarizes the latest progress regarding their potentials in cancer immunotherapy and methods for improving outcomes in cancer strategies by modulating CD4+ T responses.
Abstract
Over the past decades, CD4+ T cells have been considered as a supporting actor in the fields of cancer immunotherapy. Until recently, accumulating evidence has demonstrated the critical role of CD4+ T cells during antitumor immunity. CD4+ T cells can either suppress or promote the antitumor cytotoxic CD8+ T cell responses, either in secondary lymphoid organs or in the tumor. In this review, we provide an overview of the multifaceted role of different CD4+ T cell subsets in cancer immune response and their contribution during cancer therapies. Specifically, we focus on the latest progress regarding the impact of CD4+ T cell modulation on immunotherapies and other cancer therapies and discuss the prospect for harnessing CD4+ T cells to control tumor progression and prevent recurrence in patients.
