Listeria monocytogenes as a Vector for Cancer Immunotherapy.

Jorge H Leitão

doi:10.3390/vaccines8030439

Abstract

Cancer is a wide group of diseases, which was responsible for 9.6 million deaths in 2018. Cancer immunotherapies have become a reality, with the first approval for sipuleucel-T for prostate cancer therapy occurring in 2010. Listeria monocytogenes is a Gram-positive bacterium, mostly known as a food-borne pathogen, capable of causing life-threatening and often fatal infections. However, since in the majority of cases the human immune system is able to mount potent innate and adaptive immune responses that control infections by Listeria monocytogenes, the microorganism has become an attractive vector for the development of cancer vaccines. The review by Flickinger Jr., Rodeck and Snook (Vaccines 2018, 6, 48) on the use of Listeria monocytogenes as a vector for cancer immunotherapy is described and commented here.

Highlights

Cancer is a wide group of diseases that can start in virtually any organ or tissue by abnormally growing cells that invade other parts of the body, leading to death
The artificial stimulation of the immune system against cancer cells was viewed as a dream by immunologists and oncologists, immunotherapies became a reality with the first approval of sipuleucel-T for prostate cancer therapy in 2010 [2]
The authors highlight the attractive features of Listeria monocytogenes as a vector for cancer immunotherapies, namely the possibility of a repeated administration of the microorganism to boost T-cell responses, the ability of the bacterium to induce both innate and adaptive immune responses, and its ability to act as a potent stimulator of cell-mediated immunity and cytotoxic lymphocytes

Summary

Introduction

Cancer is a wide group of diseases that can start in virtually any organ or tissue by abnormally growing cells that invade other parts of the body, leading to death. The artificial stimulation of the immune system against cancer cells was viewed as a dream by immunologists and oncologists, immunotherapies became a reality with the first approval of sipuleucel-T for prostate cancer therapy in 2010 [2].

Results

Conclusion