Chapter 8 - Immunosurveillance: Innate and Adaptive Antitumor Immunity

Abstract

The interplay of innate and adaptive antitumor immunity dictates the intensity and outcome of the endogenous anticancer response. Stress-induced molecules on tumor cells trigger innate immune reactions, whereas the processing and presentation of tumor-associated antigens evokes adaptive immune recognition. Innate and adaptive antitumor responses may impact tumor development in different ways. In some cases, endogenous reactions suppress tumor formation, while exerting a selective pressure that fosters the emergence of escape variants. Alternatively, some host responses promote tumor cell growth, invasion, and metastasis through the elaboration of inflammatory mediators and cytokines. Investigations have uncovered unique and overlapping roles for innate and adaptive anti tumor immunity, revealing a complex network of interactions among tumor cells, immune elements, and stromal components within the tumor microenvironment, which together shape the direction, quality, and dynamics of the anticancer response.