The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is a ubiquitous nuclear receptor with a broad range of functions, both in tumor cells and immune cells within the tumor microenvironment (TME). Activation of AhR has been shown to have a carcinogenic effect in a variety of organs, through induction of cellular proliferation and migration, promotion of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, and inhibition of apoptosis, among other functions. However, the impact on immune cell function is more complicated, with both pro- and anti-tumorigenic roles identified. Although targeting AhR in cancer has shown significant promise in pre-clinical studies, there has been limited efficacy in phase III clinical trials to date. With the contrasting roles of AhR activation on immune cell polarization, understanding the impact of AhR activation on the tumor immune microenvironment is necessary to guide therapies targeting the AhR. This review article summarizes the state of knowledge of AhR activation on the TME, limitations of current findings, and the potential for modulation of the AhR as a cancer therapy.
芳香烃受体（AhR）是一种广泛存在的核受体，在肿瘤细胞及肿瘤微环境（TME）内的免疫细胞中具有多种功能。研究表明，AhR的激活可通过诱导细胞增殖与迁移、促进上皮-间质转化、抑制细胞凋亡等机制，在多种器官中产生致癌效应。然而，其对免疫细胞功能的影响更为复杂，已发现其同时具有促肿瘤和抗肿瘤的双重作用。尽管临床前研究显示靶向AhR在癌症治疗中具有显著潜力，但迄今为止的三期临床试验疗效有限。鉴于AhR激活对免疫细胞极化的双重调控作用，理解AhR激活对肿瘤免疫微环境的影响对于指导靶向AhR的治疗策略至关重要。本文综述了AhR激活对肿瘤微环境影响的研究现状、现有发现的局限性，以及调控AhR作为癌症治疗手段的潜在价值。
肿瘤(癌症)患者之家