The evolving role of immune cells in prostate cancer

• Published in: Cancer letters Vol. 525; pp. 9 - 21
• Main Authors: Wang, Chao, Zhang, Yan, Gao, Wei-Qiang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Ireland Elsevier B.V 28.01.2022; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Adaptive immune cells; Androgen Antagonists - therapeutic use; Androgens; Androgens - immunology; Androgens - metabolism; Antigens; Bone marrow; Cancer therapies; Chemokines; Cytokines; Cytotoxicity; Disease Progression; Drug Resistance, Neoplasm - genetics; Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition - drug effects; Genotype & phenotype; Humans; Immune system; Immunotherapies; Immunotherapy; Innate immune cells; Innate lymphocytes; Lymphocytes; Male; Mesenchyme; Metastases; Metastasis; Neoplasm Metastasis; Prostate - metabolism; Prostate - pathology; Prostate cancer; Prostatic Neoplasms - genetics; Prostatic Neoplasms - immunology; Prostatic Neoplasms - pathology; Prostatic Neoplasms - therapy; Transcription factors; Tumor microenvironment; Tumor Microenvironment - drug effects; Tumors; Vaccines; Adaptive immune cells; Innate immune cells; Prostate cancer; Innate lymphocytes; Immunotherapies
• ISSN: 0304-3835; 1872-7980; 1872-7980
• DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2021.10.027

Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related death among men in western countries. Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) is considered the standard therapy for recurrent prostate cancer; however, this therapy may lead to ADT resistance and tumor progression, which seems to be regulated by epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and/or neuroendocrine differentiation (NED). In addition, recent data suggested the involvement of either adaptive or innate infiltrated immune cells in the initiation, progression, metastasis, and treatment of prostate cancer. In this review, we outlined the characteristics and roles of these immune cells in the initiation, progression, metastasis, and treatments of prostate cancer. We also summarized the current therapeutic strategies in targeting immune cells of the prostate tumor microenvironment. •The biological functions of the major immune populations in different stages of prostate cancer.•The roles of immune cells in ADT and immunotherapies in prostate cancer.•Immunotherapies targeting immune checkpoints, TAMs and MDSCs in prostate cancer.