4-1BB and 4-1BB ligand（4-1BBL） are members of the tumor necrosis factor/tumor necrosis factor receptor family, which are expressed on T cells and antigen-presenting cells （APC） respectively. In recent study, therapies utilizing the 4-1BB/4-1BBL signaling pathway have been shown to have antitumor effects in a number of model systems. In this report, we focus solely on the role of 4-1BB and its receptor 4-1BBL in costimulation and discuss its potential as a target for the immunotherapy of oral cancer.
