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REVIEW article

Front. Immunol.

Sec. Molecular Innate Immunity

Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2025.1689714

Innate Immunity in Tumors: Roles and Therapeutic Targets

Provisionally accepted
Songze  LengSongze Leng1,2Yuyue  RenYuyue Ren1,2Yaoyao  TianYaoyao Tian1Weiwei  ZhaoWeiwei Zhao1Yue  MouYue Mou1,2Xingyu  ChenXingyu Chen1,2Hong  ZhouHong Zhou1,2Wei  WangWei Wang1,2*
  • 1Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
  • 2Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

Abstract: Innate immune cells and pathways are central to shaping the tumor microenvironment (TME), where they influence tumor growth, metastasis, and responsiveness to immunotherapy. Although research on innate immunity in cancer has expanded considerably, the mechanisms driving immune dysfunction remain incompletely understood. This review summarizes current knowledge on the functional states of innate immune cells within the TME and highlights how metabolic reprogramming contributes to immune suppression and tumor progression. We further discuss recent advances in therapeutic strategies targeting innate immune pathways, emphasizing their translational potential. Importantly, we also examine unresolved controversies and knowledge gaps across innate immune cells, metabolic networks, and innate immune factors such as complement and cytokines, outlining key challenges for clinical translation. By linking mechanistic insights with emerging interventions and identifying future directions, this review provides a framework for integrating innate immunity into next-generation cancer treatment.

Keywords: innate immunity, Tumor Microenvironment, Immunotherapy, immune cells, Immune factors

Received: 20 Aug 2025; Accepted: 06 Oct 2025.

Copyright: © 2025 Leng, Ren, Tian, Zhao, Mou, Chen, Zhou and Wang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

* Correspondence: Wei Wang, weiwang0_0@163.com

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