Investigations of Palm Oil Components: A Review of Effects on Immune Checkpoint Pathways and Therapy

This journal examines the potential of bioactive components in palm oil—tocotrienol, carotenoids, and fatty acids—in modulating immune checkpoint pathways in cancer therapy. Amid the limitations of conventional immunotherapy, this study aims to synthesize mechanistic, therapeutic, and safety evidence through a PRISMA-based Systematic Literature Review of 33 articles (2022–2025). The results indicate that palm bioactives can suppress the expression of PD-1/PD-L1 and CTLA-4, enhance T cell response, and potentially strengthen the effectiveness of checkpoint inhibitors with a low toxicity profile. Although promising, large-scale clinical trials and formulation standardization are needed to support clinical translation.