Abstract
The arsenal against different types of cancers has increased impressively in the last decade. The detailed knowledge of the tumor microenvironment enables it to be manipulated in order to help the immune system fight against tumor cells by using specific checkpoint inhibitors, cell-based treatments, targeted antibodies, and immune stimulants. In fact, it is widely known that the first immunotherapeutic tools as immune stimulants for cancer treatment were bacteria and still are; specifically, the use of Mycobacterium bovis bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) continues to be the treatment of choice for preventing cancer recurrence and progression in non-invasive bladder cancer. BCG and also other mycobacteria or their components are currently under study for the immunotherapeutic treatment of different malignancies. This review focuses on the preclinical and clinical assays using mycobacteria to treat non-urological cancers, providing a wide knowledge of the beneficial applications of these microorganisms to manipulate the tumor microenvironment aiming at tumor clearance.
Highlights
The use of immunotherapy for cancer treatment was reported around 130 years ago, with the use of the inactivated product from two strains of bacteria, Streptococcus pyogenes and Serratia marcenses, namely Coley’s toxin, which were mixed in order to be injected into patients affected by diverse types of cancer
After non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC), melanoma is the cancer in which more mycobacterial products have been studied as antitumor agents
In the case of small-cell lung cancer (LC) (SCLC) patients, a small clinical trial suggested longer survival and relapse-free survival in patients treated with an immunoadjuvant consisting of bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) extract bound to hydroxyapatite and microparticulated tuberculin called CalTUMP in combination with BEC2 [96], two other studies demonstrated no beneficial effect of the combined therapy [97,98]
Summary
The use of immunotherapy for cancer treatment was reported around 130 years ago, with the use of the inactivated product from two strains of bacteria, Streptococcus pyogenes and Serratia marcenses, namely Coley’s toxin, which were mixed in order to be injected into patients affected by diverse types of cancer. In the 1970s and 1980s, BCG was used by injecting into the tumor or in combination with other therapies in melanoma [8,9], as well as in lung [10,11,12], cervical [10,13], ovarian [14,15], colon [16], and head and neck cancers [10], etc All these years of preclinical and clinical assays resulted in the use of BCG as immunotherapeutic agent for the treatment of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). This type of tumor only affects the mucosa or sub-mucosa of the bladder wall. It is worth mentioning that BCG is the most efficacious treatment to avoid recurrences and progression of NMIBC, even superior to intravesically instilled chemotherapeutic drugs
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
