The impact of aging on antitumor immunity and cancer immunotherapy.

Claudia Cifuentes Caballero, Ilaria Delle Fontane, Helen C Hope, Nicola Vannini

Department of Oncology, Microbiology and Immunology (OMI), Section of Medicine, Faculty of Sciences and Medicine, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland.Department of Oncology, Microbiology and Immunology (OMI), Section of Medicine, Faculty of Sciences and Medicine, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland. · pubmed

Paper

Abstract

Aging is the first risk factor associated with cancer, predominantly due to cumulative somatic mutations and a profound decline in antitumor immunity. The aging process remodels immune function across hematopoietic, adaptive, and innate compartments through interconnected processes, including hematopoietic stem cell dysfunction, loss of metabolic fitness, altered B and T cell phenotypes, myeloid skewing, and a complex interplay between cellular senescence and inflammaging. These changes collectively establish an immunosuppressive landscape that weakens natural tumor surveillance and constrains responses to cancer immunotherapies. Given the shift toward an aging global population and the disproportionate cancer burden in older individuals, we emphasize the clinical relevance of patient-stratification strategies. We further discuss emerging approaches aimed at rejuvenating immune function to improve immunotherapy outcomes in older patients.

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Research summary

The paper claims that aging remodels immune function, leading to an immunosuppressive landscape that weakens tumor surveillance and responses to immunotherapy. This research is relevant as it addresses the decline in immune function due to aging, which is a root cause of age-related diseases like cancer, and explores strategies to rejuvenate immune responses in older patients.

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