Abstract
Accumulating evidence suggests the role of cellular components in achieving antitumor to protumor microenvironments. Among the various types of cells within the tumor niche, the state of CD8
T cells apparently changes from cytotoxic T effector cells and memory T cells to exhausted CD8
T cells. These changes in the phenotype of CD8
T cells promote the protumor microenvironment. Recently, comprehensive experimental data delineated the role of thymocyte selection-associated high-mobility group-box protein (TOX), which regulates the transcriptional process and epigenetic remodeling, with implications in tumor and chronic viral infections. This perspective summarizes the molecular mechanisms that link CD8
T cells, TOX, and transcriptional and epigenetic reprogramming as well as future directions for determining new avenues of cancer therapeutics.