Multiple immune and stromal cell surface receptors

Multiple immune and stromal cell surface receptors is a descriptive category rather than a single molecular entity or canonical target. It refers to a diverse set of proteins expressed on the surface of immune cells (such as PD-1, CTLA-4, and LAG-3) and stromal cells (such as FAP, VEGFR, and PDGFR) within the tissue microenvironment (Nature Reviews Cancer, 2020). In drug development, particularly for cancer and chronic fibrosis, targeting multiple receptors across these different cell types is a strategy used to overcome therapeutic resistance and reprogram the disease milieu (NIH, 2020). For example, bifunctional agents like bintrafusp alfa target both immune checkpoints and stromal signaling (Clinical Cancer Research, 2018), while multi-kinase inhibitors like nintedanib or cabozantinib block various stromal and angiogenic pathways (European Respiratory Journal, 2014; Nature Reviews Drug Discovery, 2017). Because this term encompasses a wide variety of distinct proteins with diverse biological functions, it is classified as a collective grouping rather than a specific, individual therapeutic target.

Other names

Immune and stromal receptorsTumor microenvironment (TME) receptorsMulti-target immune-stromal modulation

Simultaneous modulation of multiple distinct signaling pathways on immune cells (e.g., T cells, macrophages) and stromal cells (e.g., fibroblasts, endothelial cells) to reprogram the tissue microenvironment.