Dietary Regulation of the Tumor Immune Microenvironment in Cancer Immunotherapy.
- 1Department of Immunology and Theranostics, Arthur Riggs Diabetes and Metabolism Research Institute, Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope Duarte CA USA.
- 2Department of Food Science and Biotechnology, College of Engineering, Sungshin Women's University Seoul Korea.
Abstract
Cancer progression is driven by complex interaction among malignant cells, stromal components, and tumor-infiltrating immune cells, which together define the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME). Tumor cells evade immune surveillance by impairing the cytotoxic CD8+ T-cell function and promoting immunosuppressive cell populations including regulatory T cells, tumor-associated macrophages, and myeloid-derived suppressor cells. Although immune checkpoint blockade and adoptive T-cell therapy have advanced cancer treatment, their clinical efficacy remains limited by therapeutic resistance, heterogenous responses, and treatment-related toxicities. Dietary factors have emerged as potential modulators of antitumor immunity through their effects on immune cell metabolism, inflammatory signaling, and the gut microbiota. In this review, we summarize the mechanisms underlying immunosuppression within the TIME and discuss how macronutrients, micronutrients, food-derived bioactive compounds, and dietary patterns regulate immune cell function and antitumor immune responses. We further highlight the potential of dietary modulation to improve immunotherapy outcomes while critically evaluating current preclinical and clinical evidence. Finally, we discuss the challenges associated with translating these findings into clinical practice, including bioavailability, context-dependent effects, and the need for well-designed clinical trials. A better understanding of diet-mediated immune regulation may provide new opportunities for developing complementary strategies to enhance cancer immunotherapy.
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BibTeX
@article{zhong2026dietary,
title = {{Dietary Regulation of the Tumor Immune Microenvironment in Cancer Immunotherapy.}},
author = {Xiancai Zhong and Hongmin Wu and Hye-Kyung Na},
journal = {Journal of cancer prevention},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.15430/jcp.26.050},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42996510},
note = {CC BY-NC},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Dietary Regulation of the Tumor Immune Microenvironment in Cancer Immunotherapy.
AU - Xiancai Zhong
AU - Hongmin Wu
AU - Hye-Kyung Na
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/01
JO - Journal of cancer prevention
DO - 10.15430/jcp.26.050
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42996510
AB - Cancer progression is driven by complex interaction among malignant cells, stromal components, and tumor-infiltrating immune cells, which together define the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME). Tumor cells evade immune surveillance by impairing the cytotoxic CD8+ T-cell function and promoting immunosuppressive cell populations including regulatory T cells, tumor-associated macrophages, and myeloid-derived suppressor cells. Although immune checkpoint blockade and adoptive T-cell therapy have advanced cancer treatment, their clinical efficacy remains limited by therapeutic resistance, heterogenous responses, and treatment-related toxicities. Dietary factors have emerged as potential modulators of antitumor immunity through their effects on immune cell metabolism, inflammatory signaling, and the gut microbiota. In this review, we summarize the mechanisms underlying immunosuppression within the TIME and discuss how macronutrients, micronutrients, food-derived bioactive compounds, and dietary patterns regulate immune cell function and antitumor immune responses. We further highlight the potential of dietary modulation to improve immunotherapy outcomes while critically evaluating current preclinical and clinical evidence. Finally, we discuss the challenges associated with translating these findings into clinical practice, including bioavailability, context-dependent effects, and the need for well-designed clinical trials. A better understanding of diet-mediated immune regulation may provide new opportunities for developing complementary strategies to enhance cancer immunotherapy.
SN - 2288-3649
SN - 2288-3657
ER -