Potential mechanisms that could be employed to improve responses to immunotherapy via exercise
| Immunotherapy | Mode of exercise | Potential mechanisms to support immunotherapy |
| Immune checkpoint inhibitors | Acute/training | Increase in trafficking and homing of T cells to tumors Increase in T cell activation and proliferation Reduce infiltration of immunosuppressive myeloid cells to the TME |
| Chronic/long term | Diminish the presence of senescent T cells Improve T cell function and metabolism | |
| Adoptive, CAR, and γδ T cell Therapies | Acute/training | Increase in T cell numbers, including low frequency viral or antigen specific T cells, for ex vivo expansion Increase in trafficking and homing of T cells to tumors Increase in T cell activation, proliferation, and cytotoxicity Enhance persistence of T cells in vivo |
| Chronic/long term | Maintain homeostatic mechanisms for naïve T cell survival via IL-7 Enhance persistence of T cells in vivo Decrease in dysfunctional senescent T cells | |
| NK Cell Therapies | Acute/training | Increase in cell numbers for ex vivo expansion Increase in trafficking and homing of NK cells to tumors Increase in NK cell activation, proliferation, and cytotoxicity Enhance persistence of NK cells in vivo |
| Chronic/long term | Prevent obesity-mediated NK cell dysfunction Enhance persistence of NK cells in vivo | |
| Cancer vaccines: Dendritic cells and acellular | Acute/training | Increase in cell yield from leukapheresis products Improve efficiency of DC maturation in vivo |
| Chronic/long term | Improve maintenance of circulating DCs normally lost during aging Decreased age-related decline in phagocytic activity, antigen presentation, migratory capacity of DCs |
DCs, dendritic cells; NK, natural killer; TME, tumor microenvironment.