{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,14]],"date-time":"2026-10-14T18:18:33Z","timestamp":1792001913192,"version":"4.4.0"},"reference-count":92,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"23","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2020,11,28]],"date-time":"2020-11-28T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1606521600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJMS"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Thymic epithelial tumors (TETs) are a group of rare thoracic malignancies, including thymic carcinomas (TC) and thymomas (Tm). Autoimmune paraneoplastic diseases are often observed in TETs, especially Tms. To date, chemotherapy is still the standard treatment for advanced disease. Unfortunately, few therapeutic options are available for relapsed\/refractory TETs. In the last few years, the deepening of knowledge on thymus\u2019 immunobiology and involved altered genetic pathways have laid the foundation for new treatment options in these rare neoplasms. Recently, the immunotherapy revolution has landed in TETs, showing both a dark and light side. Indeed, despite the survival benefit, the occurrence of severe autoimmune treatment-related adverse events has risen crescent uncertainty about the feasibility of immunotherapy in these patients, prone to autoimmunity for their cancer biology. In this review, after summarizing immunobiology and immunopathology of TETs, we discuss available data on immune-checkpoint inhibitors and future perspectives of this therapeutic strategy.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijms21239056","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2020,11,29]],"date-time":"2020-11-29T21:00:57Z","timestamp":1606683657000},"page":"9056","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":37,"title":["Immunobiology of Thymic Epithelial Tumors: Implications for Immunotherapy with Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"21","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1199-2338","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Valentina","family":"Tateo","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine, Policlinico di Sant\u2019Orsola University Hospital, Via P. Albertoni 15, 40138 Bologna, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Lisa","family":"Manuzzi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine, Policlinico di Sant\u2019Orsola University Hospital, Via P. Albertoni 15, 40138 Bologna, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Andrea","family":"De Giglio","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine, Policlinico di Sant\u2019Orsola University Hospital, Via P. Albertoni 15, 40138 Bologna, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Claudia","family":"Parisi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine, Policlinico di Sant\u2019Orsola University Hospital, Via P. Albertoni 15, 40138 Bologna, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3069-7630","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Giuseppe","family":"Lamberti","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine, Policlinico di Sant\u2019Orsola University Hospital, Via P. Albertoni 15, 40138 Bologna, Italy"},{"name":"Oncologia Medica, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Via Albertoni 15, 40138 Bologna, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4615-7340","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Davide","family":"Campana","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Oncologia Medica, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Via Albertoni 15, 40138 Bologna, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Maria Abbondanza","family":"Pantaleo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Oncologia Medica, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Via Albertoni 15, 40138 Bologna, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2020,11,28]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"(2020, November 26). RARECARENet. 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