Immunotherapy

Where the papers sit

41 papers from the last 6 months study immunotherapy directly · updated from PubMed 12 Oct 2026

• Checkpoint Resistance Mechanisms

  Checkpoint blockade research is shifting from describing resistance to reversing the suppressive mechanisms that sustain it. MerTK, SPP1, BLVRB, LIM and SH3 protein 1, cofilin1-driven cytoskeletal remodeling, and tumor metabolism recur as regulators of cytotoxic lymphocyte function or immune exclusion. Mutant p53, obesity, diet and the microbiome are being positioned as context-specific modifiers of PD-1 response, supporting biomarker-guided combinations rather than uniform ICB. Single-cell and machine-learning models are being used to identify responders, but the relevant mechanisms remain cancer-specific and require clinical validation.

  13 papers · 31.7%

• Tumor Microenvironment Engineering

  Tumor microenvironment remodeling is being paired with immunotherapy rather than treated as a separate problem. PI3Kγ inhibition, B7H2 display, engineered probiotics, macrophage-targeted mRNA nanoparticles and peptide or prodrug delivery recur as ways to increase immune access and activation. Regnase-1 editing improves B7-H3-CAR T-cell activity, while neuron–cancer–immune crosstalk and adjacent cancer cells expose additional suppressive circuits. The direction is toward locally targeted combination strategies that restore cytotoxic lymphocyte function and tertiary lymphoid structure activity.

  9 papers · 22%

• Immunotherapy Response Prediction

  Immunotherapy selection is moving toward integrated molecular, immune, clinical and imaging assessment. Polyamine and senescence-related signatures, FOXA1–MUC1 profiling, and multi-omics models seek to predict response or guide complementary targets across cancers. Clinical translation remains uneven: CT radiomics added little beyond lesion-volume dynamics in melanoma, while immune and metabolic features are being tested prospectively in breast cancer, leukemia and other settings. The cluster also highlights the need to distinguish true immune-mediated disease from neurodegeneration and to measure patient outcomes beyond tumor response.

  9 papers · 22%

• Immunotherapy in NSCLC

  NSCLC treatment is moving toward immunotherapy combinations selected by stage, nodal response, genotype and circulating tumor DNA. Adjuvant immunotherapy is being examined after nodal downstaging, while chemoimmunotherapy with or without thoracic radiotherapy is tested in advanced and elderly patients. Real-world outcomes compare KRAS G12C with non-G12C disease, and tumor fraction in ctDNA is emerging as a possible regimen-selection marker. METTL14/Wnt9a/β-catenin inhibition offers a mechanistic route to improve radiotherapy and immunotherapy efficacy, although the optimal sequence and patient selection remain open.

  6 papers · 14.6%

• Real-World Treatment Sequencing

  Treatment decisions are increasingly being evaluated through real-world sequences, line of therapy and outcomes rather than through single regimens alone. Studies of multiple myeloma, lung cancer and recurrent or metastatic head and neck cancer compare first-line, second-line and subsequent treatment patterns, survival and healthcare costs. Pembrolizumab and other immunotherapies are assessed within those sequences, where age, prior therapy and disease setting shape benefit. Decision coaching adds a patient-centered dimension, emphasizing informed choices alongside hazard ratios and utilization data.

  4 papers · 9.8%