Unraveling the immunomodulatory role of TIM-3 in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: implications for targeted therapy

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) ranks among the most prevalent cancers globally, and despite improvements in treatment options such as surgery and radiotherapy, its survival rate remains low. With increased research in immunotherapy, antibodies against various immune checkpoints like programmed death receptor 1 (PD-1) and cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA-4) have been shown to be effective against a wide range of tumors. Nonetheless, survival benefits gained by HNSCC patients remain limited. T-cell immunoglobulin mucin-3 (TIM-3), an emerging immune checkpoint molecule, is found to be expressed in HNSCC and is involved in shaping the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME). TIM-3 is significant in the initiation and progression of HNSCC by modulating effector T cells, innate immune cells, and other components of the immune system. Inhibiting TIM-3 can restore T cell function and enhance the immune response against HNSCC, making it a promising immunotherapeutic target for this disease. This article reviews the expression of TIM-3 in HNSCC and its immunomodulatory mechanism and briefly introduces the combined application and development prospects of TIM-3 as a potential immunotherapeutic target.