Tumor microenvironment: systematic review

  • Alesia V. Vialichka International Sakharov Environmental Institute, Belarusian State University; Belarusian State Medical University, Research Institute of Experimental and Clinical Medicine
  • Darya B. Nizheharodava International Sakharov Environmental Institute, Belarusian State University; Belarusian State Medical University, Research Institute of Experimental and Clinical Medicine
  • Elizaveta M. Nazaranka Belarusian State Medical University, Research Institute of Experimental and Clinical Medicine
  • Bogdan A. Muzychenka International Sakharov Environmental Institute, Belarusian State University
  • Marina M. Zafranskaya International Sakharov Environmental Institute, Belarusian State University; Belarusian State Medical University, Research Institute of Experimental and Clinical Medicine

Abstract

The growth and progression of a neoplasm is a multi–stage process mediated by interactions between tumor cells and their surrounding stroma including various cell types (fibroblasts, endothelial cells, immune cells), cell-free components (cytokines, extracellular vesicles and extracellular matrix), blood and lymphatic vessels that form the tumor microenvironment. During the progression of neoplasms, tumor cells can evade the immune response by suppressing or losing tumor antigens releasing immunosuppressive extracellular vesicles and exosomes, secreting various cytokines, chemokines and other factors, and begin to reprogram and remodel the surrounding stroma. The most relevant areas of TME study are cells and molecules of innate and acquired immunity exhibited both suppressive and stimulating activity against tumor cells due to their high heterogeneity and plasticity. Special attention is paid to immune control points, tumor microbiota, components of intercellular interaction as well as immunotherapy of tumor diseases.
In this paper, a systematic review of scientific publications in PubMed database devoted to the study of TME and published in the period from 2019 to 2024 was carried out. 2547 sources were studied and 68 articles were selected during the screening process. Search queries and keywords included «tumor microenvironment», «immune cells», «tumor», «oncogenesis», «metastasis». The formed group of scientific articles will allow to study in more detail the cellular and molecular composition of the tumor microenvironment, as well as the main targets for the development of new approaches for malignant neoplasms diagnosis and therapy involving TME.

Author Biographies

Alesia V. Vialichka, International Sakharov Environmental Institute, Belarusian State University; Belarusian State Medical University, Research Institute of Experimental and Clinical Medicine

graduate student at the department of immunology; junior researcher at the department of immunology
and biomedicine technology, scientific research laboratory.

Darya B. Nizheharodava, International Sakharov Environmental Institute, Belarusian State University; Belarusian State Medical University, Research Institute of Experimental and Clinical Medicine

PhD (biology), docent; associate professor at the department of immunology; leading researcher at the department of immunology and biomedicine technology, scientific research laboratory.

Elizaveta M. Nazaranka, Belarusian State Medical University, Research Institute of Experimental and Clinical Medicine

junior researcher at the department of immunology and biomedicine technology, scientific research laboratory.

Bogdan A. Muzychenka, International Sakharov Environmental Institute, Belarusian State University

teacher at the department of immunology.

Marina M. Zafranskaya, International Sakharov Environmental Institute, Belarusian State University; Belarusian State Medical University, Research Institute of Experimental and Clinical Medicine

doctor of science (medicine), full professor; head of the department of immunology; principal
scientific researcher at the department of immunology and biomedicine technology, scientific research laboratory.

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Published
2025-01-09
Keywords: microenvironment, tumors, immune cells, immunological checkpoints, microbiota, therapy
How to Cite
Vialichka, A., Nizheharodava , D., Nazaranka , E., Muzychenka , B., & Zafranskaya , M. (2025). Tumor microenvironment: systematic review. Journal of the Belarusian State University. Ecology, 4, 85-98. Retrieved from https://journals.bsu.by/index.php/ecology/article/view/6604
Issue
No 4 (2024): Journal of the Belarusian State University. Ecology.
Section
Medical Ecology