Targeting MHC-I inhibitory pathways for cancer immunotherapy.

The MHC-I antigen presentation (AP) pathway is key to shaping mammalian CD8 ⁺ T cell immunity, with its aberrant expression closely linked to low tumor immunogenicity and immunotherapy resistance. While significant attention has been given to genetic mutations and downregulation of positive regulators that are essential for MHC-I AP, there is a growing interest in understanding how tumors actively evade MHC-I expression and/or AP through the induction of MHC-I inhibitory pathways. This emerging field of study may offer more viable therapeutic targets for future cancer immunotherapy. Here, we explore potential mechanisms by which cancer cells evade MHC-I AP and function and propose therapeutic strategies that might target these MHC-I inhibitors to restore impaired T cell immunity within the tumor microenvironment (TME).
Competing Interests: Declaration of interests J.W. is on the Scientific Advisory Board of Rootpath Genomics and is a consultant for Bristol Myers Squibb (Relatlimab Advisory Council) and Hanmi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. The other authors have no interests to declare.
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