Tumor immunotherapy has become a first line option for cancer treatment, a hot field in cancer research and a weapon to overcome cancer in the future. A series of tumor immunotherapeutic drugs have been approved and used in clinic. Also the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2018 was awarded to two immunologists who had made outstanding contributions to tumor immunotherapy, revealing the coming of immunotherapy age. This article outlines the hotspots and advances of tumor immunology and immunotherapy in 2018, including the discovery of new immune checkpoints, in-depth understanding of T cell exhaustion, discovery of new tumor immunosuppressive cell subsets, and exploration of new strategies for tumor immunotherapy. These studies will further promote the development of tumor immunotherapy and bring more effective treatments to cancer patients.

tumor immunology  /  immune checkpoints  /  T cell exhaustion  /  immunosuppressive cell subsets  /  tumor dormancy