Abstract
Considerable progress has been made in the field of cancer immunotherapy in recent years. This has been made possible in large part by the identification of new immune-based cellular targets and the development of novel approaches aimed at stimulating the immune system. The role played by the immunosuppressive microenvironment in the development of tumors has been established. The success of checkpoint-inhibiting antibodies and cancer vaccines has marked the beginning of a new era in cancer treatment. This review highlights the clinically relevant principles of cancer immunology and various immunotherapeutic approaches that have either already entered mainstream oncologic practice or are currently in the process of being evaluated in clinical trials. Furthermore, the current barriers to the development of effective immunotherapies and the potential strategies of overcoming them are also discussed.
Highlights
Considerable progress has been made in the field of cancer immunotherapy in recent years
Tumor antigens generally include five different classes of antigens, namely, tissue-differentiation antigens [Melan-A/melanoma antigen recognized by T cells (MART-1), tyrosinase-related protein-2 (TRP-2), glycoprotein 100, prostate-specific antigen (PSA), and prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP)], overexpressed antigens [carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), survivin, and telomerase], cancertestes antigens (CTAs) that are derived from epigenetic changes [melanoma antigen family A, 3 (MAGE-A3) and NY-ESO-1], antigens derived from mutated genes (P53 and RAS), and viral antigens derived from human papillomavirus (HPV) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)[7,8,9,10]
Tumor antigens can be broadly divided into two categories of “self-antigens” (CTAs, differentiation and overexpressed antigens), which are present on both tumor cells and normal tissues, and “tumor-specific antigens,” which are restricted to tumor cells[10]
Summary
The antitumor potential of the immune system has been recognized for a long time. The first known attempt to use the power of the immune system in treating cancer was made by William B. The immunosurveillance concept was later expanded and formally introduced by Burnet[3] and Thomas et al.[4] in the early 1970s. They proposed a model in which the immune system of immunocompetent individuals played a critical role in preventing cancer development by eliminating tumor cells that are recognized as being foreign[3,4]. These initial milestones played a crucial role in our current understanding of the mechanisms of tumor immunology and the overall development of cancer immunotherapy as a field
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