Abstract: Cancer immunotherapy based on immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) has been widely developed. However, due to the low objective response rate of ICI monotherapy, only 10%-20% in some tumors, ICI combination therapy has become a research highlight recently. Studies have shown that cancer metabolism and its products can regulate the differentiation and function of T cells. Regulating cell metabolism can prolong the longevity and enhance the function of T cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME), and the combination of ICI can improve its therapeutic effect. Here, we summarized the differentiation of T cells regulated by immune metabolism, the effects of TME and ICI on T cell immune metabolism, and research progresses on the role of combination of cell metabolism drugs and ICI in cancer immunotherapy.

Key words: T lymphocytes, Immune metabolism, Immune checkpoint inhibitor, Tumor microenvironment, Combination therapy