Immunological Dynamics in Gastric Cancer
Summary
The immunological landscape of gastric cancer is defined by a dynamic interplay between malignant cells and the host immune system within the tumour microenvironment. Chronic inflammation driven by Helicobacter pylori infection, cytokine networks and recruitment of diverse immune cells establishes either a pro-tumourigenic or tumour-suppressive milieu. Central to this balance are tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes, macrophage subsets and regulatory T cells, which coordinate cytotoxic responses, immune tolerance and angiogenesis. Immune checkpoint pathways, notably the PD-1/PD-L1 axis, blunt antitumour activity and have become targets for novel therapies. Spatial heterogeneity of immune infiltrates and the influence of nutritional and metabolic status further modulate therapeutic outcomes. Recent advances have elucidated biomarkers predictive of response to checkpoint blockade and revealed opportunities to personalise immunotherapeutic strategies in gastric cancer.
Research from Nature Portfolio
A comprehensive meta-analysis has established that higher PD-L1 expression in gastric tumours is linked to diminished survival, increased tumour size and nodal metastasis. These insights underscore the critical immunosuppressive role of the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway and support its targeting, while highlighting the need to standardise diagnostic thresholds for patient selection in immune checkpoint therapies.
Immunological Dynamics in Gastric Cancer publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in immunological dynamics in gastric cancer across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Tumour microenvironment (TME): The network of non-malignant cells, extracellular matrix and signalling molecules surrounding and interacting with tumour cells.
Tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs): Immune cells that have migrated from the circulation into the tumour tissue and reflect the host antitumour response.
Immune checkpoint: Regulatory pathways that maintain self-tolerance and modulate the strength and duration of immune reactions.
PD-1/PD-L1 axis: A key immune checkpoint involving programmed cell death protein 1 on T cells and its ligand that inhibits T-cell activation when engaged.
Th17 cells: A subset of CD4+ T helper cells that produce interleukin-17 and play roles in inflammation and immunity.
References
- IL-17A in gastric carcinogenesis: good or bad?. Frontiers in Immunology (2024).
- Prognostic Value of T-Cell Density in the Tumor Center and Outer Margins in Gastric Cancer. Modern Pathology (2023).
- The Prognostic Value of the Prognostic Nutritional Index in Patients with Advanced or Metastatic Gastric Cancer Treated with Immunotherapy. Nutrients (2023).
- The clinicopathological and prognostic significance of PD-L1 expression in gastric cancer: a meta-analysis of 10 studies with 1,901 patients. Scientific Reports (2016).
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