Figure 3. TME shapes the genomic landscape of lung cancer cells.

Accumulation of specific cancer clones (light and dark cream) with (neo)antigen presentation can induce the infiltration of anti-tumor immune cells (blue cells with light nuclei).

The anti-tumor immune cells will recognize and induce the cell death pathway in the targeted clones. By this mechanism, anti-tumor immune cells can act as a genetic selection barrier not only by killing less fit clones but also through the preparation of an environment that promotes growth and proliferation of other clones (dark gray) with specific genetic profiles that subsequently prevent antigen production. However, some cancer cells with antigen presentation can also evade the killing by anti-tumor immune cells through other mechanisms (dark cream clones after genomic selection).