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Immune checkpoint inhibitor-related pneumonitis: current advances and the putative role of mesenchymal stem cell therapy
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  • Review Article
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  • Published: 03 February 2026

Immune checkpoint inhibitor-related pneumonitis: current advances and the putative role of mesenchymal stem cell therapy

  • Zekang Li1,2,3,4 na1,
  • Xiao Zheng  ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-6163-74143,5,6 na1,
  • Han Xia7,
  • Long Lu1,2,3,
  • Xiaodong Chen8,9,
  • Yongjing Chen10,
  • Jun Wu1,2,3,4,
  • Yufang Shi2,8,9,10 &
  • …
  • Chen Wu  ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-3410-492X1,2,3,4,11 

Cell Death & Disease , Article number:  (2026) Cite this article

We are providing an unedited version of this manuscript to give early access to its findings. Before final publication, the manuscript will undergo further editing. Please note there may be errors present which affect the content, and all legal disclaimers apply.

Subjects

  • Cancer
  • Tumour immunology

Abstract

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are widely used in clinical oncology owing to their effectiveness against various tumors. However, by enhancing their immune responses, these inhibitors can trigger immune-related adverse events (irAEs) affecting various organ systems. Notably, pulmonary complications, particularly immune checkpoint inhibitor-related pneumonitis (ICIP), have emerged as one of the leading causes of treatment-related mortality in patients receiving ICIs. Given the limitations of current ICIP treatments, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) represent a promising therapeutic strategy owing to their immunomodulatory properties and ability to promote tissue repair. This article reviews recent advances in ICIP and proposes the potential applications of MSC therapy, emphasizing the need for further research into its efficacy and safety to improve ICIP management.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by the following funding sources: The Top Talent of Changzhou “The 14th Five-Year Plan” High-Level Health Talents Training Project (2024CZBJ001), the Clinical Project of Changzhou Medical Center of Nanjing Medical University (CMCC 202415), and the Beijing Bethune Charitable Foundation (2023-YJ-119-J-043). The illustrations in this article utilized biomedical illustration materials provided by Biorender (https://www.biorender.com/), for which we express our gratitude.

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Author notes

  1. These authors contributed equally: Zekang Li, Xiao Zheng.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Oncology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou, Jiangsu, China

    Zekang Li, Long Lu, Jun Wu & Chen Wu

  2. Department of Biotherapy, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou, Jiangsu, China

    Zekang Li, Long Lu, Jun Wu, Yufang Shi & Chen Wu

  3. Institute of Cell Therapy, Soochow University, Changzhou, Jiangsu, China

    Zekang Li, Xiao Zheng, Long Lu, Jun Wu & Chen Wu

  4. Department of Oncology, The First People’s Hospital of Changzhou, Changzhou, Jiangsu, China

    Zekang Li, Jun Wu & Chen Wu

  5. Department of Tumor Biological Treatment, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou, Jiangsu, China

    Xiao Zheng

  6. Jiangsu Engineering Research Center for Tumor Immunotherapy, Changzhou, Jiangsu, China

    Xiao Zheng

  7. Department of Oncology, The First People’s Hospital of Jingzhou, Jingzhou, Hubei, China

    Han Xia

  8. Wuxi Sinotide New Drug Discovery Institutes, Huishan Economic and Technological Development Zone, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China

    Xiaodong Chen & Yufang Shi

  9. Jiangsu Yize Biotechnology Co., Ltd., Zhongke Innovation Center, Changzhou Science and Education Town, Changzhou, Jiangsu, China

    Xiaodong Chen & Yufang Shi

  10. Institutes for Translational Medicine, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China

    Yongjing Chen & Yufang Shi

  11. Changzhou Medical Center, Nanjing Medical University, Changzhou, Jiangsu, China

    Chen Wu

Authors
  1. Zekang Li
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  3. Han Xia
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  4. Long Lu
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Contributions

ZL, XZ, and CW contributed to the conception, drafting, and writing of the initial manuscript. XC, YC, HX, and JW provided relevant background knowledge and participated in the final review of the paper. LL and HX made overall language modifications to the manuscript. YS contributed to the revision of the manuscript and participated in the final review of the paper.

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Yufang Shi or Chen Wu.

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Competing interests

The authors declare no potential conflict of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. Authors Xiaodong Chen and Yufang Shi are co-founders of Jiangsu Yize Biotechnology Co., Ltd., and Wuxi Sinotide New Drug Discovery Institutes, which may have an interest in the study outcomes.

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Li, Z., Zheng, X., Xia, H. et al. Immune checkpoint inhibitor-related pneumonitis: current advances and the putative role of mesenchymal stem cell therapy. Cell Death Dis (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41419-026-08440-7

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  • Received: 10 July 2025

  • Revised: 04 December 2025

  • Accepted: 21 January 2026

  • Published: 03 February 2026

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41419-026-08440-7

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