Regulating the regulators via targeting CD38 in the tumor microenvironment - PubMed
2 days ago
- #immunotherapy
- #tumor microenvironment
- #CD38
- CD38 is a key regulator in the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME).
- CD38 is expressed on various immune cells including Tregs, Bregs, MDSCs, TAMs, and TANs, enhancing their survival and suppressive activity.
- CD38 influences immune suppression through NAD+ hydrolysis, calcium signaling, and fatty acid oxidation (FAO).
- CD38's enzymatic products, cADPR and NAADP, mobilize calcium fluxes that reinforce suppressive functions.
- CD38 integrates with hypoxia-driven pathways, promoting angiogenesis, immune evasion, and therapeutic resistance.
- Targeting CD38 with monoclonal antibodies, small-molecule inhibitors, or combination therapies shows promise in reversing immune suppression.
- CD38 acts as both a metabolic regulator and an immunologic checkpoint, making it a transformative target for next-generation immunotherapies.