Immune system cells and local tissue microenvironment

The immune system cells and local tissue microenvironment represent a complex, multi-component system consisting of various immune cell lineages, stromal cells, and the extracellular matrix (ECM) (Binnewies et al., 2018, Nature Medicine). This environment serves as the functional site for immune surveillance and tissue repair, where the spatial arrangement and metabolic state of cells determine the outcome of an immune response. In pathological conditions such as malignancy or chronic inflammation, the microenvironment is often 'reprogrammed' to support disease progression, such as through the recruitment of myeloid-derived suppressor cells or the deposition of dense collagen (Anderson & Simon, 2020, Current Biology). Therapeutic strategies targeting this system do not hit a single molecule but rather aim to modulate the collective behavior of the environment, for instance, by inhibiting immune checkpoints or neutralizing pro-angiogenic factors (Pitt et al., 2016, Annals of Oncology). Consequently, this 'target' is better understood as a therapeutic compartment rather than a discrete molecular entity.

Other names

Tumor microenvironmentTMEImmune microenvironmentTissue nicheInflammatory microenvironmentLocal immune landscape

Modulation of the local environment through immune checkpoint inhibition, cytokine neutralization, depletion of immunosuppressive cell populations, and inhibition of pro-angiogenic signaling.