Recent advances and challenges of cellular immunotherapies in lung cancer treatment

Abstract Lung cancer is a major malignant tumor with high morbidity and fatality rates. For many years, traditional treatments for lung cancer have struggled to achieve a favorable outlook and prognosis. It is crucial to identify and innovate novel clinical therapeutic strategies and techniques to p...

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Main Authors: Chengfei Yang, Yue Liu, Ziqi Huang, Sijin Liu, Xi Zhang, Quanxing Liu, Jigang Dai
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2025-07-01
Series:Experimental Hematology & Oncology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s40164-025-00679-8
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author Chengfei Yang
Yue Liu
Ziqi Huang
Sijin Liu
Xi Zhang
Quanxing Liu
Jigang Dai
author_facet Chengfei Yang
Yue Liu
Ziqi Huang
Sijin Liu
Xi Zhang
Quanxing Liu
Jigang Dai
author_sort Chengfei Yang
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Lung cancer is a major malignant tumor with high morbidity and fatality rates. For many years, traditional treatments for lung cancer have struggled to achieve a favorable outlook and prognosis. It is crucial to identify and innovate novel clinical therapeutic strategies and techniques to prevent tumor progression and prolong the survival time of patients with lung cancer. Cellular immunotherapies have revolutionized the treatment of malignant tumors and have been gradually applied in clinical practice. CAR-T therapy is the best-known cellular therapy and has achieved remarkable clinical outcomes in patients with hematological malignancies, but its effect on patients with lung cancer and other solid tumors is not satisfactory, partly because of the heterogeneity and complexity of lung cancers and the sterile TMEs. To further improve the clinical effect, multiple approaches and strategies have been adopted, including discovering new tumor antigen targets, improving safety, enhancing cytotoxicity, and increasing durability. Moreover, other cell-based immunotherapies have also showed great potential for the treatment of lung cancer, including TCR-T cells, TILs, CIK cells, NK cells, macrophages, and dendritic cells, which enriched the number of treatment choices for patients with lung cancer. In summary, the present article summarizes and highlights recent advances and challenges in the use of cellular immunotherapies for the treatment of lung cancer, which might stimulate new ideas for the further development of cellular immunotherapies.
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institution Kabale University
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publishDate 2025-07-01
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series Experimental Hematology & Oncology
spelling doaj-art-8465ba8f6c7d4f7dab74ee6b2fba7bfc2025-08-20T03:42:48ZengBMCExperimental Hematology & Oncology2162-36192025-07-0114112710.1186/s40164-025-00679-8Recent advances and challenges of cellular immunotherapies in lung cancer treatmentChengfei Yang0Yue Liu1Ziqi Huang2Sijin Liu3Xi Zhang4Quanxing Liu5Jigang Dai6Department of Thoracic Surgery, Xinqiao Hospital, Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University)Medical Center of Hematology, State Key Laboratory of Trauma and Chemical Poisoning, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Hematology and Microenvironment, Xinqiao Hospital of Army Medical UniversityDepartment of Thoracic Surgery, Xinqiao Hospital, Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University)Department of Thoracic Surgery, Xinqiao Hospital, Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University)Medical Center of Hematology, State Key Laboratory of Trauma and Chemical Poisoning, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Hematology and Microenvironment, Xinqiao Hospital of Army Medical UniversityDepartment of Thoracic Surgery, Xinqiao Hospital, Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University)Department of Thoracic Surgery, Xinqiao Hospital, Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University)Abstract Lung cancer is a major malignant tumor with high morbidity and fatality rates. For many years, traditional treatments for lung cancer have struggled to achieve a favorable outlook and prognosis. It is crucial to identify and innovate novel clinical therapeutic strategies and techniques to prevent tumor progression and prolong the survival time of patients with lung cancer. Cellular immunotherapies have revolutionized the treatment of malignant tumors and have been gradually applied in clinical practice. CAR-T therapy is the best-known cellular therapy and has achieved remarkable clinical outcomes in patients with hematological malignancies, but its effect on patients with lung cancer and other solid tumors is not satisfactory, partly because of the heterogeneity and complexity of lung cancers and the sterile TMEs. To further improve the clinical effect, multiple approaches and strategies have been adopted, including discovering new tumor antigen targets, improving safety, enhancing cytotoxicity, and increasing durability. Moreover, other cell-based immunotherapies have also showed great potential for the treatment of lung cancer, including TCR-T cells, TILs, CIK cells, NK cells, macrophages, and dendritic cells, which enriched the number of treatment choices for patients with lung cancer. In summary, the present article summarizes and highlights recent advances and challenges in the use of cellular immunotherapies for the treatment of lung cancer, which might stimulate new ideas for the further development of cellular immunotherapies.https://doi.org/10.1186/s40164-025-00679-8Cellular immunotherapyLung cancerCAR-T therapyAntigen targetsTumor microenvironmentCombination immunotherapy strategy
spellingShingle Chengfei Yang
Yue Liu
Ziqi Huang
Sijin Liu
Xi Zhang
Quanxing Liu
Jigang Dai
Recent advances and challenges of cellular immunotherapies in lung cancer treatment
Experimental Hematology & Oncology
Cellular immunotherapy
Lung cancer
CAR-T therapy
Antigen targets
Tumor microenvironment
Combination immunotherapy strategy
title Recent advances and challenges of cellular immunotherapies in lung cancer treatment
title_full Recent advances and challenges of cellular immunotherapies in lung cancer treatment
title_fullStr Recent advances and challenges of cellular immunotherapies in lung cancer treatment
title_full_unstemmed Recent advances and challenges of cellular immunotherapies in lung cancer treatment
title_short Recent advances and challenges of cellular immunotherapies in lung cancer treatment
title_sort recent advances and challenges of cellular immunotherapies in lung cancer treatment
topic Cellular immunotherapy
Lung cancer
CAR-T therapy
Antigen targets
Tumor microenvironment
Combination immunotherapy strategy
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s40164-025-00679-8
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