Cytokine-Induced Senescence in the Tumor Microenvironment and Its Effects on Anti-Tumor Immune Responses

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Despite tremendous treatment efforts, cancer is still one of the leading causes of death, with approximately 10 million deaths in 2020. In the last decade, immunotherapy entered the stage of clinical practice and was added to the established regimen, i.e., surgery, chemo- and radiation therapy, to fight this deadly disease. Cancer immunotherapies, including immune checkpoint inhibitors, target malignant cancer cells and immune cells in the tumor micro-environment. Among those cells are T cells and antigen-presenting cells, which can efficiently control tumors via both cell-cell interactions and by secretion of inflammatory cytokines. The presence of specific cytokines in the tumor microenvironment has been shown to induce senescence in tumor cells. Subsequently, tumor cells acquire a senescence-associated secretory phenotype that strongly modulates anti-tumor responses. This review describes the mechanisms of cytokine-induced senescence in the tumor microenvironment and highlights their relevance for therapeutic perspectives. ABSTRACT: In contrast to surgical excision, chemotherapy or radiation therapy, immune checkpoint blockade therapies primarily influence cells in the tumor microenvironment, especially the tumor-associated lymphocytes and antigen-presenting cells. Besides complete remission of tumor lesions, in some patients, early tumor regression is followed by a consolidation phase where residing tumors remain dormant. Whereas the cytotoxic mechanisms of the regression phase (i.e., apoptosis, necrosis, necroptosis, and immune cell-mediated cell death) have been extensively described, the mechanisms underlying the dormant state are still a matter of debate. Here, we propose immune-mediated induction of senescence in cancers as one important player. Senescence can be achieved by tumor-associated antigen-specific T helper 1 cells, cytokines or antibodies targeting immune checkpoints. This concept differs from cytotoxic treatment, which often targets the genetic makeup of cancer cells. The immune system’s ability to establish “defensive walls” around tumors also places the tumor microenvironment into the fight against cancer. Those “defensive walls” isolate the tumor cells instead of increasing the selective pressure. They also keep the tumor cells in a non-proliferating state, thereby correcting the derailed tissue homeostasis. In conclusion, strengthening the senescence surveillance of tumors by the immune cells of the microenvironment is a future goal to dampen this life-threatening disease.