Immunogenic effects of chemotherapy-induced tumor cell death

Emerging evidence suggests that the clinical success of conventional chemotherapy is not solely attributed to tumor cell toxicity, but also results from the restoration of immunosurveillance, which has been largely neglected in the past preclinical and clinical research. Antitumor immune response can be primed by immunogenic cell death (ICD), a type of cell death characterized by cell-surface translocation of calreticulin (CRT), extracellular release of ATP and high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), and stimulation of type I interferon (IFN) responses. Here we summarize recent studies showing conventional chemotherapeutics as ICD inducers, which are capable of modulating tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and reactivating antitumor immunity within an immuno-suppressive microenvironment. Such immunological effects of conventional chemotherapy are likely critical for better prognosis of cancer patients. Furthermore, combination of ICD-inducing chemotherapeutics with immunotherapy is a promising approach for improving the clinical outcomes of cancer patients.