CD8+ T Cells in the Cancer Immunity Cycle: Mechanisms, Barriers, and Therapeutic Opportunities
A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Immunology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2025 | Viewed by 16
Special Issue Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
CD8+ T cells play a central role in the cancer immunity cycle by contributing to tumor immunosurveillance through their cytotoxic activity and the secretion of cytokines and chemokines. Despite their crucial function, the antitumor efficacy of CD8+ T cells is often compromised within the tumor microenvironment. This impairment is closely associated with T cell exhaustion and a decline in their metabolic fitness.
In this Special Issue, we review recent advances in T cell-based immunotherapy, focusing on the major steps of the cancer immunity cycle: recognition of tumor antigens, activation and expansion of T cells, trafficking and infiltration into the tumor site, and the execution of cytotoxic functions. We also examine the key intrinsic and extrinsic factors that influence CD8+ T cell differentiation and function. These include T cell receptor (TCR) stimulation, costimulatory and inhibitory signaling, cytokine milieu, metabolic reprogramming, and mechanical forces within the tumor microenvironment. We conclude that a comprehensive understanding of the determinants governing T cell fate decisions is essential for the development of novel therapeutic strategies aimed at overcoming current barriers to effective cancer immunity.
Dr. Wael Traboulsi
Guest Editor
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Keywords
- CD8+ T cell
- cancer immunotherapy
- checkpoint inhibitor
- CAR-T cell therapy, CD8 differentiation
- epigenetic regulation
- metabolism
- exhaustion
- dysfonctional CD8+ T cell
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