Evidence mapPaperPMID 41491612Full record

ReviewClinical and translational medicine2026

Targeting neutrophil-driven immunosuppression: A strategy to overcome immune checkpoint inhibitor resistance.

Ying Ning, Ke Lei, Xinyan Gao, Yan Kong, Yuping Shan, Tian Tian, Zhumei Cui, He Ren

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Clinical and translational medicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Ying NingDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China.
Ke LeiCenter of Tumor Immunology and Cytotherapy, Medical Research Center, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China.
Xinyan GaoDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China.
Yan KongDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China.
Yuping ShanDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China.
Tian TianDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China.
Zhumei CuiDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7975-3296
He RenCenter of Tumor Immunology and Cytotherapy, Medical Research Center, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9528-0580

Funding

China Postdoctoral Science Foundation 2025M772174National Natural Science Foundation of China 82472719Qingdao Municipal Science and Technology Bureau 25-1-5-smjk-14-nshScience Foundation for Young Scientists of the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University QDFYQN2024118Shandong Postdoctoral Science Foundation SDCX-ZG-202502052
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) has revolutionized tumour therapy by relieving immunosuppression and restoring effector T cell cytotoxicity. However, its clinical utility is constrained by low response rates and acquired resistance. Tumour-associated neutrophils (TANs), key players in tumour immunoregulation, have emerged as critical mediators of ICB responsiveness and resistance, highlighting the therapeutic potential of combining TAN-targeted strategies with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). This review systematically synthesizes current knowledge of neutrophils in ICB resistance from several dimensions: (1) clinical indicators of neutrophils, such as the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and tissue TANs abundance, as predictors of ICI response and patients prognosis; (2) multifaceted TAN-involved resistance mechanisms, including direct T cell inhibition, antigen presentation impairment, function modulation of other immune cells, promotion of tumour angiogenesis, and elevation of tumour mutation burden (TMB); (3) combination therapeutic strategies targeting TAN generation/ exhaustion, recruitment, phenotypic polarization, activation, proangiogenic functions, and neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), along with progress in related clinical trials. Combinatorial approaches integrating TAN-targeted therapies with ICIs hold substantial promise for overcoming resistance by reshaping the immune microenvironment. Elucidating neutrophil-mediated resistance mechanisms and optimizing combination strategies will pave the way for precision tumour immunotherapy. KEY POINTS: TANs drive ICI resistance via antitumour immune remodelling, angiogenesis promotion, and elevation of tumour mutation burden Neutrophil biomarkers (e.g., NLR, TAN abundance) show strong predictive value for ICI response and prognosis. Targeting TAN recruitment, polarization, function and NETosis represents a promising strategy to overcome ICI resistance. Numerous clinical trials are evaluating combination therapies targeting neutrophils to enhance immunotherapy efficacy.

Indexed as

Drug Resistance, NeoplasmImmune Checkpoint InhibitorsImmunosuppression TherapyNeoplasmsNeutrophilsHumansTumor MicroenvironmentImmune Checkpoint Inhibitorscombination therapyimmune checkpoint inhibitors, neutrophils, resistance, mechanism

Identifiers

PMID41491612
PMCPMC12771606

What Socratic holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.