Upregulation of ADAM10 reinforces CD8 + T cells toward exhaustion in the TME

Using cytotoxic CD8+ T cell-mediated cellular immunity has shown considerable efficacy in cancer treatment. However, the effectiveness of these cells against solid tumors is limited by the presence of an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME), which constitutes complex networks of regulatory pathways and resistance mechanisms. Given its critical role in TME deterioration through shedding of immunosuppressive molecules from tumor and immune cell surfaces, the upregulation of A Disintegrin and Metalloproteinase 10 (ADAM10) expression can reinforce CD8+ T cells into a state of exhaustion. This paper highlights the influence of ADAM10 and its proteolytic products on the primary pathways of CD8+ T cell exhaustion, including the expression of immune checkpoint molecules and modification across CD8+ T cell transcriptional, metabolic, and nutritional states. We remain optimistic about the critical role of ADAM10 in cytokine-induced T cell exhaustion, recruitment of immunosuppressive cells into the TME, and CD8+ T cell death/survival. Gaining significant insights into these processes may offer new strategies to advance CD8+ T cell-mediated cancer therapy.