Radiation as an immune modulator: mechanisms and implications for combination with immunotherapy

<p>Nature Reviews Cancer, Published online: 23 January 2026; <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41568-025-00903-x">doi:10.1038/s41568-025-00903-x</a></p>Radiation therapy induces immune responses both systemically and within the tumour microenvironment. In this Review, Darragh and Karam present preclinical and clinical evidence to highlight this complex interplay and outline strategies to enhance the immunogenic potential of radiation therapy to improve both therapeutic efficacy and patient outcomes.