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The role of T-cell immunoglobulin mucin-3 and its ligand galectin-9 in antitumor immunity and cancer immunotherapy

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Abstract

Cancer treatment in the past few years has been transformed by a new kind of therapy that targets the immune system instead of the cancer itself to reinvigorate antitumor immunity with astonishing results. However, primary and acquired resistance to this type of treatment, namely immune checkpoint blockade (ICB), continue to counter treatment efficacy. In many cases, resistance has been attributed to defective or chronically enhanced interferon signaling and/or upregulation of alternative immune checkpoints, including T-cell immunoglobulin mucin-3 (Tim-3) and its ligand galactin-9 (Gal-9). In this article, we briefly describe the current knowledge of common checkpoint resistance mechanisms, focusing on the Tim-3/Gal-9 pathway as an alternative checkpoint that holds great promise as another target for ICB.

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Acknowledgements

This work was funded in part by the following: National Institutes of Health (CCSG CA16672); Cancer Prevention & Research Institutes of Texas (DP150052 and RP160710); National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc.; Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF-17-069); Patel Memorial Breast Cancer Endowment Fund; The University of Texas MD Anderson-China Medical University and Hospital Sister Institution Fund; Ministry of Science and Technology, International Research-intensive Centers of Excellence in Taiwan (I-RiCE; MOST 105-2911-I-002-302); Ministry of Health and Welfare, China Medical University Hospital Cancer Research Center of Excellence (MOHW106-TDU-B-212-144003); and Center for Biological Pathways.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA

    Riyao Yang & Mien-Chie Hung

  2. Center for Molecular Medicine and Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, China Medical University, Taichung, 404, China

    Mien-Chie Hung

  3. Department of Biotechnology, Asia University, Taichung, 413, China

    Mien-Chie Hung

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  1. Riyao Yang
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  2. Mien-Chie Hung
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Correspondence to Mien-Chie Hung.

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Yang, R., Hung, MC. The role of T-cell immunoglobulin mucin-3 and its ligand galectin-9 in antitumor immunity and cancer immunotherapy. Sci. China Life Sci. 60, 1058–1064 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11427-017-9176-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11427-017-9176-7

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