Immune Evasion - Science topic

Gynecologic cancers, particularly ovarian cancer (OC), are on the rise, with approximately 240,000 women diagnosed annually and an average treatment cost of around $200,000 per new case. OC is the seventh most common cancer in women and the eighth leading cause of cancer-related death, with five-year survival rates below 45%, a statistic largely at...

Background Lung cancer, one of the leading causes of cancer-related morbidity and mortality worldwide, is strongly associated with smoking as its primary carcinogenic factor. However, despite the strong link between smoking and lung cancer, not all smokers develop the disease, suggesting that individual genetic susceptibility and molecular mechanis...

Background Tumor immune evasion extends beyond T cells, affecting innate immune elements like natural killer cells (NK) and macrophages within the tumor-immune microenvironment (TIME). Nevertheless, translational strategies to trigger collaboration of NK cells and macrophages to initiate sufficient anti-tumor cytoxicity remain scarce and are urgent...

The current outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) viruses of the H5N1 subtype clade 2.3.4.4b in dairy cattle in the United States has affected nearly 900 dairy farms and resulted in at least 39 human infections, putting health authorities and the scientific community on high alert. Here we characterize the virus growth properties and...

Background Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) pathogenesis is driven by the dysregulation of various cell signaling pathways, including the FMS-Like Tyrosine Kinase 3 (FLT3) pathway and its ligand (FLT3L). These pathways play a critical role in promoting cell survival, proliferation, and resistance to apoptosis, contributing to leukemogenesis. In this st...

Background Trichinosis is one of the most widespread parasitic infections worldwide. Trichinella spiralis not only infects humans but can also utilize wild anddomestic animals as hosts. The serine protease inhibitors secreted by Trichinella spiralis play a critical role in its invasion and immune evasion. Serpins can effectively inhibit host protea...

Glioblastoma (GBM) ranks among the most lethal primary tumors of the central nervous system. This is partly due to its complex intracellular metabolism and interactions with the surrounding tumor microenvironment (TME). Compelling evidence represents that altered amino acids (AAs) metabolism plays a crucial role in both areas. The role of AAs and t...

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a highly lethal malignancy, which is characterised by an immunosuppressive tumour microenvironment (TME) that leads to poor responses to immunotherapies. Here, we discuss recent advances in our understanding of the PDAC TME and provide a comprehensive overview of both tumour cell-intrinsic and extrinsic fa...

Orthobunyaviruses are a diverse group of segmented RNA viruses with significant but underexplored public and veterinary health implications. This study provides a genomic, phylogenetic, and ecological analysis of neglected Orthobunyaviruses using next-generation sequencing and computational predictions. We identified unique phylogenetic relationshi...

The upper gastrointestinal microbiome, a complex ecosystem of microorganisms that have historically been difficult to identify, may play a pivotal role in the development of oesophageal cancer and postoperative outcomes. Dysbiosis, characterised by imbalances in microbial composition, is believed to drive tumorigenesis in various gastrointestinal c...

This study investigated the 5-year survival probability among NSCLC patients with concurrent SLE on various therapy combinations in order to uncover the impact of these combination therapies on median survival time, survival probability aiming to highlight potential therapeutic synergy. Patients with autoimmune disorders like systemic lupus erythem...

Targeting MALT1’s paracaspase activity has been explored for B cell lymphoma and solid tumors. While the role of MALT1 in promoting cancer cell proliferation has been investigated, its involvement in immune evasion is unclear. Here we report that MALT1 promotes immune evasion through its paracaspase and death domain. In a paracaspase-dependent mann...

Antigenic variation is an immune evasion strategy used by many different pathogens. It involves the periodic, non-random switch in the expression of different antigens throughout an infection. How the observed hierarchy in antigen expression is achieved has remained a mystery1,2. A key challenge in uncovering this process has been the inability to...

Colorectal cancer (CRC) remains a leading cause of cancer-related morbidity and mortality worldwide, driven by a complex interplay of genetic, environmental, and immune-related factors. Among the pivotal pathways implicated in CRC tumorigenesis, the Notch signaling pathway is instrumental in governing cell fate decisions, tissue renewal, homeostasi...

Cancer continues to be the leading cause of mortality worldwide, with metastasis being the primary contributor to cancer-related deaths. Despite significant advancements in cancer therapies, metastasis remains a major challenge in effective cancer management. Metastasis, the process by which cancer cells spread from the primary tumor to distant org...

The immune system is alerted for virally infected cells in the body by the antigen presentation pathway, which is in turn mediated by the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I and II molecules. Cancer cells overcome immune evasion as a major hallmark by downregulation of the antigen presentation pathway. Therefore, the present study aimed...

The SARS-CoV-2 Spike glycoprotein is central to viral infectivity and immune evasion, making it a key target for vaccine and therapeutic design. This trimeric peplomer undergoes dynamic conformational changes, particularly in its Receptor Binding Domain (RBD), which transitions between closed (down) and ACE2-accessible (up) states relative to the r...

Marburg virus (Marv) hemorrhagic fever is a sporadic and highly lethal disease endemic to several African countries , with recent outbreaks showing up to 90% mortality. The virus's pathogenicity is largely mediated by the multifunctional protein VP35, which enables immune evasion through interferon antagonism. Currently, there are no approved treat...

The negatively charged aminophospholipid, phosphatidylserine (PS), is typically restricted to the inner leaflet of the plasma membrane under normal, healthy physiological conditions. PS is irreversibly externalized during apoptosis, where it serves as a signal for elimination by efferocytosis. PS is also reversibly and transiently externalized duri...

Citation: Canaán-Haden, C.; Sánchez-Ramírez, J.; Martínez-Castillo, R.; Bequet-Romero, M.; Puente-Pérez, P.; Gonzalez-Moya, I.; Rodríguez-Álvarez, Y.; Ayala-Ávila, M.; Castro-Velazco, J.; Cabanillas-Bernal, O.; et al. Immunogenicity and Safety Profile of Two Adjuvanted-PD-L1-Based Vaccine Candidates in Mice, Rats, Rabbits, and Cynomolgus Monkeys. V...

Endometriosis is a complex gynecological disorder characterized by endometrial-like tissue growing outside the uterus, leading to chronic pain, infertility, and reduced quality of life. Its pathophysiology involves genetic, epigenetic, immune, and molecular factors. Theories such as retrograde menstruation, coelomic metaplasia, and stem cell involv...

Chronic viral infections like HIV, HBV, and HCV establish persistent interactions with the host immune system, resulting in immune evasion and long-term immune dysfunction. These viruses use a range of strategies to limit host defenses, such as downregulating MHC class I, disrupting interferon signaling, altering apoptosis pathways, and suppressing...

Phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) is an enzyme that specifically hydrolyzes the second messenger cAMP and has a critical role in the regulation of a variety of cellular functions. In recent years, PDE4 has attracted great interest in cancer research, and its role in tumorigenesis and development has been gradually elucidated. Research indicates that abnor...

Immune checkpoint inhibition (ICI) has become the mainstay of immunotherapy for the treatment of renal cell carcinoma (RCC). However, only a small portion of patients exhibit a positive response to PD-1/PD-L1 blockade therapy and the key reason is that RCC belongs to a vascular-rich tumor for promoting immunosuppression. Specifically, the dysfuncti...

Patients with pre-existing autoimmune disorders, such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), who are treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have demonstrated an increased risk of immune-related adverse events (irAEs) and exacerbations of their autoimmune condition. In SLE, somatic mutations, aberrant...

Exosomes have emerged as pivotal players in precision oncology, offering innovative solutions to longstanding challenges such as metastasis, therapeutic resistance, and immune evasion. These nanoscale extracellular vesicles facilitate intercellular communication by transferring bioactive molecules that mirror the biological state of their parent ce...

Papain-like protease (PL pro ) from SARS-CoV-2 is a high-priority target for COVID-19 antiviral drug development. We present protocols for PL pro production in Escherichia coli . PL pro expressed as a fusion with the Saccharomyces cerevisiae Smt3 protein (SUMO), is purified and obtained in its native form upon hydrolysis, with yields as high as 38...

Background/Objectives: Abnormal glycan formation on the cancer cell surface plays a crucial role in regulating tumor functions in bladder cancer. In this study, we investigated the roles of glucosaminyl (N-acetyl) transferase 2 (GCNT2) in bladder cancer progression and immune evasion. GCNT2 synthesizes I-branched polylactosamine chains on cell surf...

RNA viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, Influenza A Virus (IAV), Zika Virus, and Dengue Virus (DENV) pose serious global health challenges by manipulating host cellular mechanisms. SARS-COV-2, in particular exploits host translational machinery to enhance replication and evade immune response. Here, we investigated how SARS-CoV-2 circumvents host immune...

Advances in single-cell multi-omics technologies have deepened our understanding of cancer biology by integrating genomic, transcriptomic, epigenomic, and proteomic data at single-cell resolution. These single-cell multi-omics technologies provide unprecedented insights into tumour heterogeneity, tumour microenvironment, and mechanisms of therapeut...

Solid tumors develop within a complex environment called the tumor microenvironment (TME), which is sculpted by the presence of other cells, such as cancer‐associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and immune cells like macrophages (Mφs). Despite the presence of immune cells, tumor cells orchestrate a tumor‐supportive environment through intricate interaction...

Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy is a promising treatment that has shown significant effects in certain refractory and advanced cancers. However, not all patients respond to ICB therapy. The tumor microenvironment (TME) helps tumors evade immune surveillance and attack, contributing to the low response rate to ICB therapy. M1 macrophages pr...

Entomopathogens are microorganisms that specifically target insects, are crucial in sustainable pest and disease management. This document reviews the roles and mechanisms of entomopathogens, including fungi, bacteria, viruses, nematodes and protozoa, in controlling insect pests and plant pathogens. Entomopathogenic fungi like Beauveria bassiana an...

Introduction Immune checkpoint inhibition, especially suppressing the interaction between programmed death 1 (PD-1) and programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) to prevent immune evasion, is an important strategy for tumor immunotherapy. Methods Hence, a library of peptide candidates, focusing on the surface features of the PD-1 ligand-binding domain (LB...

Oxygen gradients within tumor tissues play a pivotal role in breast cancer metastasis, influencing critical biological processes that contribute to disease progression. Tumors often develop regions of hypoxia due to rapid growth and insufficient blood supply, which drives adaptation mechanisms that promote metastatic behavior. These low-oxygen area...

Background Calcium-regulated heat-stable protein 1 (CARHSP1) has been identified as a cold shock domain (CSD) protein family member, participating in the regulation of ribosomal translation, mRNA degradation, and the rate of transcription termination. However, there is an extremely limited understanding of the function of CARHSP1 as an RNA binding...

Retinoblastoma, the most common pediatric intraocular malignancy, arises from RB1 inactivation, leading to uncontrolled proliferation of retinal progenitor cells. Epigenetic dysregulation a key driver of retinoblastoma progression, yet the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. UHRF1, a regulator of DNA methylation and chromatin remodeling, h...

Colorectal cancer (CRC) ranks as the third most common cancer worldwide, with its incidence steadily increasing due to an aging demographic and various lifestyle-related risk factors, including poor nutrition, tobacco use, sedentary behaviour and obesity. These factors promote the risk of colorectal cancer by inducing chronic colonic inflammation,...

The Plasmodium infection cycle in mosquitoes relies on numerous host factors in the vector midgut, which can be targeted with therapeutics. The mosquito prefoldin complex is needed to fold proteins and macromolecular complexes properly. Here we show that the conserved Anopheles mosquito prefoldin (PFDN)–chaperonin system is a potent transmission-bl...

Background: Bladder cancer (BC) represents a common malignancy and is characterized by high heterogeneity and complex biological behaviors, which pose substantial challenges to its effective treatment. Mounting evidence highlights the pivotal roles of ribonucleic acid (RNA) modifications, particularly N6-methyladenosine, alongside others such as 1-...

Background Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is closely linked to aberrant glycolytic metabolism, a hallmark of cancer progression, immune evasion, and therapy resistance. This study employs single-cell transcriptomics and multi-omics approaches to unravel glycolysis-mediated mechanisms in ESCC, with a focus on risk stratification and thera...

Background The programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) is an immune checkpoint that mediates immune evasion of tumors. Alternative splicing (AS) such as intron retention (IR) plays a crucial role in the immune-related gene processing and its function. However, it is not clear whether PDCD1 encoding PD-1 exists as an IR splicing isoform and what underlying f...

Background: Ovarian immature teratomas are rare germ cell tumours with varying neuroepithelial differentiation and malignant potential. Identifying reliable prognostic markers remains a challenge in clinical practice. This study evaluates the role of Ki67 (proliferation), CD44 (stemness), and FOXP3 (immune suppression) as key indicators of tumour a...

The tumor microenvironment is characterized by immunosuppression and compromised intratumoral perfusion, which impairs the effectiveness of immune checkpoint inhibitors and nanomedicines. A significant challenge is the role of activated platelets, as they increase transfer‐mediated PD‐L1 expression from tumor cells and maintain the integrity of tum...

Opinion Statement Colorectal cancer, ranking as the third most prevalent malignancy globally, substantially benefits from both immunotherapy and VEGF/VEGFR inhibitors. Nevertheless, the use of monotherapy proves inadequate in effectively tackling the heterogeneity of tumors and the intricacies of their microenvironment, frequently leading to drug r...

Background Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains a leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide, largely because of its ability to reshape the tumor microenvironment and evade immune surveillance. Methods CX3CL1 expression in HCC tumor tissues was assessed via immunohistochemistry, while plasma levels were quantified using enzyme-linked im...

Macrophages are key tumor microenvironment (TME) regulators, exhibiting remarkable plasticity that enables them to either suppress or promote cancer progression. Emerging evidence highlights the critical role of macrophage-derived long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in shaping tumor immunity, influencing macrophage polarization, immune evasion, angiogen...

Aberrant expression of programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) facilitates tumor immune evasion. Protein arginine methyltransferase 3 (PRMT3), a member of type I PRMT family, mediates asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) modification of various substrate proteins. This study investigates the role of PRMT3 in PD-L1-associated tumor immunosuppression in hepa...

Hypoxia induces immunosuppressive phenotypes in tumor cells even in the presence of cytosolic DNA accumulation. The mechanisms by which tumor cells suppress hypoxia-induced cGAS-STING activation for immune evasion remain largely unclear. Here, we demonstrate that hypoxic stimulation induces JNK1/2-mediated S151 phosphorylation of phosphoenolpyruvat...

Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 (PRC2) is a central regulator of gene expression via the trimethylation of histone H3 on lysine 27. This epigenetic modification plays a crucial role in maintaining cell identity and controlling differentiation, while its dysregulation is closely linked to cancer progression. PRC2 silences tumor suppressor genes, promo...

The apicomplexan parasite Toxoplasma gondii establishes chronic infection in the central nervous system, including the retina, causing ocular toxoplasmosis (OT). This persistence relies on a fine balance between inflammatory and immunomodulatory mechanisms, especially in the immune-privileged ocular environment. We previously described the immunolo...

Breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs) are a small proportion of stem-like breast cancer cells with more tumorigenic and metastatic capacity in comparison to the bulk tumor cells, which are capable of self-renewal and generating differentiated cells. BCSCs are resistant to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. More and more research indicate that BCSCs are hete...

The prevalence of multidrug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae is extensive, both in healthcare settings and the general population. Biofilm formation in K. pneumoniae plays a key role in infection pathogenesis and serves as important defensive strategy against antibiotics and immune evasion. This study examined the presence of efflux pumps, potential...

Background Hepatocellular carcinoma is a fatal malignancy that lacking specific therapies. Homeobox B4 (HOXB4) was negatively correlated with poor prognosis in cancers, but its role in hepatocellular carcinoma has not been elucidated. Results We confirmed that HOXB4 was downregulated in hepatocellular carcinoma tissues and lower HOXB4 expression a...

Background Despite the success of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in multiple malignant tumors, a significant proportion of patients remain unresponsive to treatment. Radiotherapy (RT) elicits immunogenic antitumor responses but concurrently activates several immune evasion mechanisms. Our earlier research demonstrated the efficacy of YM101, an...

Penile squamous cell carcinoma (PSCC) is a rare malignancy with limited understanding of the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME). The interplay between PSCC and the immune system across disease progression and HPV infection status remains poorly characterized. This study aims to assess the TIME changes from localized to advanced disease and betwee...

T cells play diverse roles in cancer immunology, acting as tumor suppressors, cytotoxic effectors, enhancers of cytotoxic T lymphocyte responses and immune suppressors; providing memory and surveillance; modulating the tumor microenvironment (TME); or activating innate immune cells. However, cancer cells can disrupt T cell function, leading to T ce...

Ovarian cancer (OC) is one of the three most common malignant tumors of the female reproductive system, with the highest mortality rate among gynecologic malignancies. Like other tumors, OC cells undergo metabolic reprogramming phenomenon and convert glucose metabolism into “aerobic glycolysis” and generate a high concentration of lactate, i.e., th...

Proteolytic processing of Receptor Tyrosine Kinases (RTKs) leads to the release of ectodomains in the extracellular space. These soluble ectodomains often retain the ligand binding activity and dampen canonical pathways by acting as decoy receptors. On the other hand, shedding the ectodomains may initiate new molecular events and diversification of...

Background/Objectives: Penile squamous cell carcinoma (PSCC) is a rare and challenging malignancy with limited treatment options for advanced disease stages. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have emerged as a promising therapeutic strategy, leveraging the immune system’s ability to counteract tumor-induced immune evasion. This systematic review...

Ostertagia ostertagi, also known as the brown stomach worm, causes significant pathology in the abomasum, resulting in production and nutritional losses in cattle. Alternative control measures, such as vaccination, are urgently needed because of rapidly growing anthelmintic drug resistance. There is a need to understand host responses to the infect...

Gastric cancer (GC) remains a significant global health concern due to its poor prognosis and limited therapeutic options, particularly in advanced stages. Tumor microenvironment (TME), particularly tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), plays a key role in tumor progression, immune evasion, and therapy resistance. TAMs exhibit plasticity, shifting b...

Chromosomal instability (CIN) is a hallmark of cancer that drives metastasis, immune evasion and treatment resistance. CIN may result from chromosome mis-segregation errors and excessive chromatin is frequently packaged in micronuclei (MN), which can be enumerated to quantify CIN. The assessment of CIN remains a predominantly manual and time-consum...

Background: Programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1), encoded by the PDCD1 gene, is critical in immune checkpoint regulation and cancer immune evasion. Variants in PDCD1 may alter its function, impacting cancer susceptibility and disease progression. Objectives: This study evaluates the structural, functional, and regulatory impacts of non-synonymous...

Cancer continues to pose remarkable medical challenges worldwide. While current cancer therapies can lead to initial clinical improvement, they are often followed by recurrence, metastasis, and drug resistance, underscoring the urgent need for innovative treatment strategies. Atorvastatin calcium (AC), a widely used lipid-lowering and anti-inflamma...

Background Histidine metabolism is crucial in role in tumor biology, contributing to tumor progression, immune regulation, and metabolic reprogramming. In hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), dysregulated histidine metabolism may promote tumor growth and immune evasion, although the specific mechanisms remain poorly understood. Methods Using single-cel...

Photodynamic-induced immunotherapy (PDI) is often hampered by low reactive oxygen species (ROS) yield, intra-tumor hypoxia, high glutathione (GSH) concentration, and immunosuppressive microenvironment. In view of this, a ruthenium (Ru)-based nanobattery (termed as IRD) with cascade-charged oxygen (O2), ROS, and photodynamic-induced immunotherapy by...

Human Papillomavirus Type 59 (HPV-59) is a high-risk subtype linked to cervical and other cancers. However, its codon usage patterns remain underexplored despite their importance in understanding viral behavior and vaccine optimization. This study reveals a mild codon usage bias in HPV-59, with a notable preference for A/T-ending codons and 29 favo...

T-cell immunoreceptor with immunoglobulin and immunoreceptor tyrosine-based inhibitory motif domains (TIGIT) is a novel immune checkpoint playing a crucial role in immunosuppression and immune evasion. This study aims to elucidate the expression patterns, characteristics, and possible mechanisms of TIGIT in small cell lung cancer (SCLC). TIGIT expr...

Breast cancer (BC) remains a significant global health challenge characterized by its heterogeneity and treatment complexities. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are small membranous particles released by cells, facilitating intercellular communication by transporting bioactive molecules such as proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids. Tumor-derived EVs hav...

Equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1), EHV-4, EHV-8, and EHV-9, are classified within the subfamily Alphaherpesvirinae and are recognized as causative agents of respiratory, urogenital, and neurological disorders in horses. These viruses, collectively referred to as αEHVs, exhibits both unique and shared characteristics in terms of host interaction, pathoge...

Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) represents a highly prevalent form of malignancy. 5-methylcytosine (m⁵C) methylation functions as a key post-transcriptional regulatory mechanism linked to cancer progression. The persistent expression of PD-L1 in tumor cells plays a pivotal role in facilitating immune evasion and promoting T-cell exhaustion. Howe...

Highly aggressive tumours have evolved to restrain the cGAS–STING pathway for immune evasion, and the mechanisms underlying this hijacking remain unknown. Here we demonstrate that hypoxia induces robust STING activation in normal mammary epithelial cells but not in breast cancer cells. Mechanistically, adenylosuccinate lyase (ADSL), a key metabolic...

In recent years, gene editing technologies, especially CRISPR-Cas9, have become key tools for enhancing the effectiveness of immunotherapy and are widely applied in the treatment of cancer, viral infections, and genetic diseases. By improving the specificity and durability of immune cells, gene editing boosts the efficacy of anti-tumor therapies, s...

Background In recent years, the clinical application of targeted therapies and immunotherapy has significantly improved survival outcomes for patients with lung adenocarcinomas(LUAD). However, due to fewer mutations, lung squamous cell carcinomas(LUSC) shows limited efficacy with targeted and immunotherapy, resulting in a notably lower 5-year survi...

Natural killer (NK) cells play a key role in the innate immune response against tumour progression. While the immune microenvironment in multiple myeloma (MM) becomes increasingly dysfunctional during disease evolution, little is known about changes in the NK cell compartment. Using primary samples from clinical trial patients, we performed detaile...

The Marburg virus (MARV), a member of the Filoviridae family, is a highly lethal pathogen that causes Marburg virus disease (MVD), a severe hemorrhagic fever with high fatality rates.Despite recurrent outbreaks, no licensed vaccine is currently available. This review explores MARV’s genomic architecture, structural proteins, and recent advancements...

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is frequently observed as the predominant malignancy affecting the oral cavity, with distant metastasis greatly affecting the treatment and long-term outlook for individuals with OSCC. Immune checkpoint inhibitors are a highly promising cancer treatment strategy currently available, but they are only successful f...