Immunotherapy is just a concept for a long while, and real advances in our understanding about how to do this have been made in recent years. Scientists now learn the cancer microenvironment plays essential roles in cancer growth, cancer spread and responses to therapy, and involves cells and molecules of the immune system implementing fundamental functions.  Also, they learn how Tumors make use of these control mechanisms to evade an attack from the immune system.

The immune system is recruited to specifically target cancer cells for therapeutic purposes. It shows promise for causing long-lasting regression and preventing relapse in cancer patients, by means of Tumor-specific immunological memory. Scientists investigate immunomodulatory mechanism of Tumors, including the blockage of immune checkpoints, in order to enhance anti-cancer immune responses.

The composition and characteristics of the cancer microenvironment are important in determining the anti-Tumor immune response. For example, certain cells of the immune system, such as effector T cells, dendritic cells (DCs), and natural killer cells, are capable of driving potent anti-Tumor responses. However, Tumor cells often make their microenvironment immunosuppressive, and thereby favour the development of immunosuppressive populations of immune cells, such as regulatory T cells.

Recent research reviews

12 representative citations, focusing on Tumor immunology & immunotherapy, are specifically retrieved from Nature Reviews Cancer (IF=35,2013 year)and Nature Reviews Immunology(IF=33,2013 year) , and are listed as follows. They are available for describing research progress in understanding the complexity of the immune system in cancer biology and the promise of immunotherapy.

Research Reviews by Year(2012-2014)

Novel Drug Discovery

There are more than a hundred other trials going on for cancer, a large number of them for immunotherapy drugs. As we know, significant immunotherapy compounds include Merck’s MK3475 for melanoma and other cancers, Roche’s MPDL3280A for lung cancer, and Bristol-Myers Squibb’s Elotuzumab. Many of these drugs are based on a discovery made two decades ago, called immune checkpoints, used by the body to prevent the attack of normal cells by the immune system.

Immune checkpoints are used to prevent the body from rejecting cells that are beneficial. While cancer cells use this mechanism to trick the immune system, and companies are developing drugs to stop the cancer cells from exploiting immune checkpoints.

References:

1. Tumor immunotherapy — leukocytes take up the fight. Nat Rev Immunol. 2012 Apr;12(4):237.

2. Sepsis-induced immunosuppression: from cellular dysfunctions to immunotherapy. Nat Rev Immunol. 2013 Dec;13(12):862-74.

3. Immunotherapy: Cancer mutation-specific immune responses. Nat Rev Cancer. 2014 May 23;14(6):387.