Eliminating a barrier: Aiming at VISTA, reversing MDSC-mediated T cell suppression in the tumor microenvironment
Yayuan Deng,
Mengjia Shi,
Lin Yi,
Muhammad Naveed Khan,
Zhijia Xia,
Xiaosong Li
Affiliations
Yayuan Deng
The First College of Clinical Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
Mengjia Shi
Clinical Molecular Medicine Testing Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China
Lin Yi
The First College of Clinical Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
Muhammad Naveed Khan
Clinical Molecular Medicine Testing Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China
Zhijia Xia
Department of General, Visceral, and Transplant Surgery, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, 81377, Germany
Xiaosong Li
Clinical Molecular Medicine Testing Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China; Western(Chongqing) Collaborative Innovation Center for Intelligent Diagnostics and Digital Medicine, Chongqing National Biomedicine Industry Park, No. 28 Gaoxin Avenue, High-tech Zone, Chongqing, 401329, China; Corresponding author. Clinical Molecular Medicine Testing Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China.
Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have revolutionized cancer treatment by producing remarkable clinical outcomes for patients with various cancer types. However, only a subset of patients benefits from immunotherapeutic interventions due to the primary and acquired resistance to ICIs. Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) play a crucial role in creating an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) and contribute to resistance to immunotherapy. V-domain Ig suppressor of T cell activation (VISTA), a negative immune checkpoint protein highly expressed on MDSCs, presents a promising target for overcoming resistance to current ICIs. This article provides an overview of the evidence supporting VISTA's role in regulating MDSCs in shaping the TME, thus offering insights into how to overcome immunotherapy resistance.
