Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Publication Date

1-1-2024

Journal

Frontiers in Immunology

DOI

10.3389/fimmu.2024.1348189

PMID

38590525

PMCID

PMC11000233

PubMedCentral® Posted Date

3-15-2024

PubMedCentral® Full Text Version

Post-print

Abstract

Older patients with cancer, particularly those over 75 years of age, often experience poorer clinical outcomes compared to younger patients. This can be attributed to age-related comorbidities, weakened immune function, and reduced tolerance to treatment-related adverse effects. In the immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) era, age has emerged as an influential factor impacting the discovery of predictive biomarkers for ICI treatment. These age-linked changes in the immune system can influence the composition and functionality of tumor-infiltrating immune cells (TIICs) that play a crucial role in the cancer response. Older patients may have lower levels of TIICs infiltration due to age-related immune senescence particularly T cell function, which can limit the effectivity of cancer immunotherapies. Furthermore, age-related immune dysregulation increases the exhaustion of immune cells, characterized by the dysregulation of ICI-related biomarkers and a dampened response to ICI. Our review aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms that contribute to the impact of age on ICI-related biomarkers and ICI response. Understanding these mechanisms will facilitate the development of treatment approaches tailored to elderly individuals with cancer.

Keywords

Aged, Humans, Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors, Aging, Biomedical Research, Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions, Neoplasms, aging, immune biomarkers, immune checkpoint inhibitors, immunosenescence, neoplasm

Published Open-Access

yes

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