Overcoming Immune Evasion in T Cell Therapy of Cancer: Lessons from Animal Models

Authors: Bai, Xue-Feng; Liu, Jin-Qing

Source: Current Molecular Medicine, Volume 8, Number 1, February 2008 , pp. 68-75(8)

Publisher: Bentham Science Publishers

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Abstract:

Cancer antigen-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) are the major effectors against cancer cells. However, large established tumors are usually not fully controlled by CTL for at least two reasons. First, large established tumors have immune suppressive networks that not only suppress CTL effector function but also permit tumor progression. Second, the genetic instability of cancer cells often results in the selection of antigenic variants by CTL, which allow cancer cells to escape destruction. Simply enhancing T cell capacity may not fully control large established tumors. Other measures, such as enhancing local costimulation, inhibiting angiogenesis and down-regulating functions of tumor associated myeloid cells should also be considered. In this paper we will review some of the progress from animal studies.

Keywords: Cytotoxic T lymphocytes; adoptive T cell therapy; cancer immune evasion

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2174/156652408783565531

Publication date: 2008-02-01

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Current Molecular Medicine is an interdisciplinary journal focused on providing the readership with current and comprehensive reviews on fundamental molecular mechanisms of disease pathogenesis, the development of molecular-diagnosis and/or novel approaches to rational treatment. The reviews should be of significant interest to basic researchers and clinical investigators in molecular medicine. Periodically the journal will invite guest editors to devote an issue on a basic research area that shows promise to advance our understanding of the molecular mechanism(s) of a disease or has potential for clinical applications.