# Immune-Centered Cross-Talk Between Cancer Cells and the Tumor Microenvironment—Implications for Therapy

## TL;DR

This review discusses how cancer interacts with its surrounding environment and how targeting this interaction can improve cancer treatments.

## Contribution

The paper provides new insights into how therapies can be improved by modifying immune cells in the tumor microenvironment.

## Key findings

- Modified immune cells like engineered macrophages can enhance cancer recognition and destruction.
- The tumor microenvironment significantly influences cancer cell proliferation and treatment response.
- Various therapies targeting the tumor microenvironment are effective across different solid tumors.

## Abstract

Cancer develops in a complex environment composed of many different cells that can either support or hinder treatment. Modern therapies, including immune-based approaches, increasingly target not only the cancer cells themselves but also the surrounding cells that support tumor growth. In this review, we describe how different treatment methods influence the tumor environment and how this knowledge can lead to more effective and personalized therapies. We also present new strategies that use modified immune cells, such as engineered macrophages, to improve the body’s ability to recognize and destroy cancer. Understanding how therapies interact with the tumor environment can help scientists design better therapies and improve outcomes for patients in the future.

The tumor microenvironment (TME), composed of various immune and non-immune cells, as well as cancer stem cells, plays a critical role not only in promoting cancer cell proliferation and metastasis but also in modulating therapeutic response. A wide range of therapeutic strategies targeting the TME are currently employed in cancer treatment, including standard chemotherapy, radiotherapy, immunotherapy, anti-angiogenic therapies, agents targeting cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), oncolytic viruses (OVs), cold atmospheric plasma therapy, and nanovaccines. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the influence of the TME on cancer sensitivity to these therapies across all types of solid tumors.