CD4+ T Cells: Multitasking Cells in the Duty of Cancer Immunotherapy

Overview

Journal Cancers (Basel)

Publisher MDPI

Specialty Oncology

Date 2021 Feb 6

PMID 33546283

Citations 22

Authors

Jennifer R Richardson

Anna Schollhorn

Cecile Gouttefangeas

Juliane Schuhmacher

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Cancer immunotherapy activates the immune system to specifically target malignant cells. Research has often focused on CD8+ cytotoxic T cells, as those have the capacity to eliminate tumor cells after specific recognition upon TCR-MHC class I interaction. However, CD4+ T cells have gained attention in the field, as they are not only essential to promote help to CD8+ T cells, but are also able to kill tumor cells directly (via MHC-class II dependent recognition) or indirectly (e.g., via the activation of other immune cells like macrophages). Therefore, immunotherapy approaches have shifted from only stimulating CD8+ T cells to targeting and assessing both, CD4+ and CD8+ T cell subsets. Here, we discuss the various subsets of CD4+ T cells, their plasticity and functionality, their relevance in the antitumor immune response in patients affected by cancer, and their ever-growing role in therapeutic approaches for human cancer.

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