Tremendous advances have been made in
cancer immunotherapy over the last decade. Among the different steps of gene expression, translation of
mRNA is emerging as an essential player in both
cancer and immunity. Changes in mRNA translation are both rapid and adaptive, and translational reprogramming is known to be necessary for sustaining
cancer cell proliferation. However, the role of mRNA translation in shaping an immune microenvironment permissive to
tumors has not been extensively studied. Recent studies on
immunotherapy approaches have indicated critical roles of mRNA translation in regulating the expression of
immune checkpoint proteins, tuning the secretion of
inflammation-associated factors, modulating the differentiation of immune cells in the tumor microenvironment, and promoting
cancer resistance to
immunotherapies. Careful consideration of the role of mRNA translation in the
tumor-immune ecosystem could suggest more effective therapeutic strategies and may eventually change the current paradigm of
cancer immunotherapy. In this review, we discuss recent advances in understanding the relationship between mRNA translation and
tumor-associated immunity, the potential mechanisms of
immunotherapy resistance in
cancers linked to translational reprogramming, and therapeutic perspectives and potential challenges of modulating translational regulation in
cancer immunotherapy.