AUTHOR=Xie Hanghang , Xi Xiaowei , Lei Ting , Liu Hongli , Xia Zhijia 

TITLE=CD8+ T cell exhaustion in the tumor microenvironment of breast cancer

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Immunology

VOLUME=Volume 15 - 2024

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/immunology/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2024.1507283

DOI=10.3389/fimmu.2024.1507283

ISSN=1664-3224

ABSTRACT=CD8+ T cells are crucial cytotoxic components of the tumor immune system. In chronic inflammation, they become low-responsive, a state known as T cell exhaustion (TEX). The aim of immune checkpoint blockade is to counteract TEX, yet its dynamics in breast cancer remain poorly understood. This review defines CD8+ TEX and outlines its features and underlying mechanisms. It also discusses the primary mechanisms of CD8+ TEX in breast cancer, covering inhibitory receptors, immunosuppressive cells, cytokines, transcriptomic and epigenetic alterations, metabolic reprogramming, and exosome pathways, offering insights into potential immunotherapy strategies for breast cancer.