Journal of Innovative Optical Health Sciences, Volume. 16, Issue 3, 2330007(2023)

Immune modulations of the tumor microenvironment in response to phototherapy

Trisha I. Valerio1... Coline L. Furrer1, Negar Sadeghipour1,2, Sophia-Joy X. Patrock1, Sayre A. Tillery1, Ashley R. Hoover1, Kaili Liu1 and Wei R. Chen1,* |Show fewer author(s)
Author Affiliations
  • 1Stephenson School of Biomedical Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma 73019, USA
  • 2School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma 73019, USA
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    The tumor microenvironment (TME) promotes pro-tumor and anti-inflammatory metabolisms and suppresses the host immune system. It prevents immune cells from fighting against cancer effectively, resulting in limited efficacy of many current cancer treatment modalities. Different therapies aim to overcome the immunosuppressive TME by combining various approaches to synergize their effects for enhanced anti-tumor activity and augmented stimulation of the immune system. Immunotherapy has become a major therapeutic strategy because it unleashes the power of the immune system by activating, enhancing, and directing immune responses to prevent, control, and eliminate cancer. Phototherapy uses light irradiation to induce tumor cell death through photothermal, photochemical, and photo-immunological interactions. Phototherapy induces tumor immunogenic cell death, which is a precursor and enhancer for anti-tumor immunity. However, phototherapy alone has limited effects on long-term and systemic anti-tumor immune responses. Phototherapy can be combined with immunotherapy to improve the tumoricidal effect by killing target tumor cells, enhancing immune cell infiltration in tumors, and rewiring pathways in the TME from anti-inflammatory to pro-inflammatory. Phototherapy-enhanced immunotherapy triggers effective cooperation between innate and adaptive immunities, specifically targeting the tumor cells, whether they are localized or distant.Herein, the successes and limitations of phototherapy combined with other cancer treatment modalities will be discussed. Specifically, we will review the synergistic effects of phototherapy combined with different cancer therapies on tumor elimination and remodeling of the immunosuppressive TME. Overall, phototherapy, in combination with other therapeutic modalities, can establish anti-tumor pro-inflammatory phenotypes in activated tumor-infiltrating T cells and B cells and activate systemic anti-tumor immune responses.

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    Trisha I. Valerio, Coline L. Furrer, Negar Sadeghipour, Sophia-Joy X. Patrock, Sayre A. Tillery, Ashley R. Hoover, Kaili Liu, Wei R. Chen. Immune modulations of the tumor microenvironment in response to phototherapy[J]. Journal of Innovative Optical Health Sciences, 2023, 16(3): 2330007

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    Paper Information

    Category: Research Articles

    Received: Dec. 10, 2022

    Accepted: Mar. 19, 2023

    Published Online: May. 25, 2023

    The Author Email: Chen Wei R. (wei-r-chen@ou.edu)

    DOI:10.1142/S1793545823300070

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