Efficacy of immunotherapy in obese patients with cancer

Obesity is a condition of excessive fat tissue and high body mass index (BMI ≥30), which is increasing worldwide. Excess body weight is associated with poorer results in cancer treatments; however, recent studies emphasized that elevated BMI was associated with improved outcomes in cases treated by immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapies, which is called the obesity paradox. In this review, we discuss the correlation between obesity and cancer immunotherapy, especially ICIs, the underlying mechanisms, and the outcomes in different types of cancers. In addition, we describe the occurrence of immune-related adverse events (irAE) and the effect of gender in obese patients during immunotherapy using all relevant studies with available full texts.

A Review of Preclinical Experiments Toward Targeting M2 Macrophages in Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer is malignant cancer leading to high mortality in the male population. The existence of suppressive cells referred to as tumor-associated macrophages (TAM) is a major obstacle in prostate cancer immunotherapy. TAMs contribute to the immunosuppressive microenvironment that promotes tumor growth and metastasis. In fact, they are main regulators of the complicated interactions between tumor and surrounding microenvironment. M2 macrophages, as a type of TAMs, are involved in the growth and progression of prostate cancer. Recently, they have gained remarkable importance as therapeutic candidates for solid tumors. In this review, we will discuss the roles of M2 macrophages and worth of their potential targeting in prostate cancer treatment. In the following, we will introduce important factors resulting in M2 macrophage promotion and also experimental therapeutic agents that may cause the inhibition of prostate cancer tumor growth.