B-Cell-Based Immunotherapy: A Promising New Alternative

Abstract

The field of immunotherapy has undergone radical conceptual changes over the last decade. There are various examples of immunotherapy, including the use of monoclonal antibodies, cancer vaccines, tumor-infecting viruses, cytokines, adjuvants, and autologous T cells carrying chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) that can bind cancer-specific antigens known as adoptive immunotherapy. While a lot has been achieved in the field of T-cell immunotherapy, only a fraction of patients (20%) see lasting benefits from this mode of treatment, which is why there is a critical need to turn our attention to other immune cells. B cells have been shown to play both anti- and pro-tumorigenic roles in tumor tissue. In this review, we shed light on the dual nature of B cells in the tumor microenvironment. Furthermore, we discussed the different factors affecting the biology and function of B cells in tumors. In the third section, we described B-cell-based immunotherapies and their clinical applications and challenges. These current studies provide a springboard for carrying out future mechanistic studies to help us unleash the full potential of B cells in immunotherapy.