Immune Effects of Targeted Radiation Therapy for Cancer

Radiation therapy plays an important role in the treatment of the majority of cancers, and is commonly used to treat both localized and metastatic disease. Immunotherapy has recently been firmly integrated into the treatment of metastatic melanoma, and holds significant promise in treating a variety of other cancers. Although large field radiation has historically been appreciated for its immunosuppressive ability, targeted radiation can induce substantial changes in the tumor microenvironment beyond cellular cytotoxicity that evoke innate and adaptive immune responses. Previous studies have highlighted radiation-induced changes in proinflammatory cytokines, chemokines, effector, and immunosuppressive T cell subsets, as well as in immune receptors on tumor cells. Some of these changes in localized and systemic immune mediators have been linked to expansion of tumor-reactive T cells, improved clinical responses, and increased overall survival in preclinical and clinical models. Taken together, this evidence suggests that targeted radiation therapy can impact anti-tumor immune responses, and may potentially be combined with immunotherapy for synergistic effect.