The tumor stroma rises as the newest source of immuno-oncology targets

With a spate of therapies entering the clinic, the next frontier in the fight against resistance to checkpoint inhibitors will be the stroma. The lead target marks a resurgence of interest in TGFβ, and behind it companies are interrogating a series of other mechanisms to uncover how the stroma locks immune cells out of tumors.

At least seven therapeutic agents inhibiting TGFβ have started early stage combination trials with checkpoint inhibitors, and an eighth is slated to enter the clinic next year (see Table: “TGFβ Checkpoint Combination Trials”). ...