CD8A and neoplasm: Natural killer (NK) cells and CD8+ T lymphocytes are the main effector cells involved in the antitumor immune response [12]; however, their functions or proximity to the tumor compartment are often limited by infiltrating immunosuppressive cells, including tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) and regulatory T cells (Tregs) [13, 14].