Research progress of immune contexture in tumorigenesis, progression and prognostic relevance of non-small cell lung cancer

Abstract

The immune system plays a dual role in tumorigenesis and progression. It can identify and kill tumor cells in a process called immunosurveillance. At the same time, tumors can be forced to edit the surrounding immune system to create an immunosuppressive microenvironment under the selective pressure and eventually escape immune surveillance. The immune contexture of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) lesions is complex and heterogeneous, which stems from the interaction of many factors: molecular subtype, oncogenic drivers and copy number variations, etc. The frequency, density, phenotype, function and spatial distribution of innate and adaptive immune cells in the microenvironment are significantly related to tumorigenesis and prognosis of NSCLC and can potentially predict the efficacy of immunotherapy. This article reviewed the complexity and prognostic relevance of the immune landscape in NSCLC which offers a better understanding of the role of the immune contexture in tumorigenesis and progression of NSCLC.

Keywords

• immune contexture| non-small cell lung cancer| tumorigenesis| progression| prognosis