Chemotherapy-Induced Immunogenic Cell Death in Combination with ICIs: A Brief Review of Mechanisms, Clinical Insights, and Therapeutic Implications

Chengwei Li^*Min Yan

• Shandong Public Health Clinical Center, Jinan, China

The combination of chemotherapy and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) represents a promising strategy for enhancing the efficacy ofholds great promise in tumor immunotherapy. This review elaborates on its mechanisms and clinical significances. Chemotherapy-induced immunogenic cell death (ICD) servesacts as the foundationcornerstone of this therapeutic synergy, involvingcharacterized by the release of damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) such as calreticulin, ATP, and HMGB1, which enhancesignificantly boost immune activation in the presence ofresponses when combined with ICIs. Clinical trials have demonstrated shown that this combination therapy approach markedlysignificantly improves clinical patient outcomes across multiple tumor types, includingin various tumors such as non-small cell lung cancer, melanoma, bladder cancer, and triple-negative breast cancer. In clinical practicereal-world applications, this combination is increasingly adopted as ait serves as a treatment option for first-line or advancedstage treatment diseases, often guided by personalized medicine approacheswith an emphasis on personalization. However, several challenges persist, including the management of treatmentrelated toxicity, high costs, and the identification of predictive biomarkerssuch as toxicity management, cost, and biomarker identification remain. Future research is needed to optimize its clinical application.