The stimulator of interferon genes (STING) agonists for treating acute myeloid leukemia (AML): current knowledge and future outlook

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is an aggressive hematologic cancer in adults. Some patients exhibit restricted T cell infiltration and do not respond to routine treatments. This may be prevented by enhancing adaptive immunity by stimulating innate immune cells inside the tumor microenvironment (TME). To activate the adaptive immunological reaction against tumors, type I interferons (IFNs) can promote the presentation of tumor-specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) cell recruitment. During the activation of innate immunity, cyclic di-nucleotides (CDNs) bind to and stimulate the stimulator of interferon genes (STING), a protein localized inside the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane, resulting in the expression of type I IFNs. The efficacy of STING agonists as effective stimulators of the anti-tumor response in AML is being investigated in numerous clinical studies. Therefore, the purpose of this investigation was to thoroughly review existing knowledge in this field and provide perspective into the clinical potential of STING agonists in AML.