Chrono-immunotherapy’s current and future optimization strategies: immunotherapy timing in line with the circadian rhythm brings longer survival benefits

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have revolutionized the treatment landscape for malignant tumors such as advanced lung cancer, but their efficacy is limited. In recent years, the circadian rhythm has provided a brand-new optimization strategy for immunotherapy. This perspective article aims to explore the potential mechanisms of the interaction between immunotherapy and circadian rhythms, reviews clinical evidence supporting that "time-of-day receipt of ICIs brings better therapeutic effects", and conduct an in-depth analysis of the current practical challenges of chrono-immunotherapy. And emphasize the potential of "chrono-immunotherapy" as a valuable therapeutic approach.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Frontiers in Immunology
Published
2026-02-16
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2026.1777437
Primary Topic
Circadian rhythm and melatonin
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

Chrono-immunotherapy’s current and future optimization strategies: immunotherapy timing in line with the circadian rhythm brings longer survival benefits

Huijuan Cui, Z. LI, Haitao Zhang, Hui Li et al.
Frontiers in Immunology
Circadian rhythm and melatonin
article

Chrono-immunotherapy’s current and future optimization strategies: immunotherapy timing in line with the circadian rhythm brings longer survival benefits

Huijuan Cui, Z. LI, Haitao Zhang, Hui Li, Daiwei Liu, Xiaoyuan Wu
article en

Abstract

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have revolutionized the treatment landscape for malignant tumors such as advanced lung cancer, but their efficacy is limited. In recent years, the circadian rhythm has provided a brand-new optimization strategy for immunotherapy. This perspective article aims to explore the potential mechanisms of the interaction between immunotherapy and circadian rhythms, reviews clinical evidence supporting that "time-of-day receipt of ICIs brings better therapeutic effects", and conduct an in-depth analysis of the current practical challenges of chrono-immunotherapy. And emphasize the potential of "chrono-immunotherapy" as a valuable therapeutic approach.

Frontiers in ImmunologyVol. 17
Hebei North University (CN), China-Japan Friendship Hospital (CN), Soochow University (CN), Zhangjiakou Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CN), Integrated Chinese Medicine (China) (HK), Zhangjiagang First People's Hospital (CN), First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (CN)
Good health and well-being
Openalex Percentile: Top 50%
Circadian rhythm and melatonin
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.