Cancer immunotherapy

Cancer immunotherapy
Peptide epitope of CD20 bound to rituximab's FAB
SpecialtyImmuno-oncology

Cancer immunotherapy (immuno-oncotherapy) is the stimulation of the immune system to treat cancer, improving the immune system's natural ability to fight the disease.[1] It is an application of the fundamental research of cancer immunology (immuno-oncology) and a growing subspecialty of oncology.

Cancer immunotherapy exploits the fact that cancer cells often have tumor antigens, molecules on their surface that can bind to antibody proteins or T-cell receptors, triggering an immune system response. The tumor antigens are often proteins or other macromolecules (e.g., carbohydrates). Normal antibodies bind to external pathogens, but the modified immunotherapy antibodies bind to the tumor antigens marking and identifying the cancer cells for the immune system to inhibit or kill. The clinical success of cancer immunotherapy is highly variable between different forms of cancer; for instance, certain subtypes of gastric cancer react well to the approach whereas immunotherapy is not effective for other subtypes.[2]

In 2018, American immunologist James P. Allison and Japanese immunologist Tasuku Honjo received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their discovery of cancer therapy by inhibition of negative immune regulation.[3]

  1. ^ Biancalana M (14 December 2022). "Harnessing the immune system to develop breakthrough cancer therapies". Archived from the original on 4 December 2023. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
  2. ^ Kodach LL, Peppelenbosch MP (August 2021). "Targeting the Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cell Compartment for Inducing Responsiveness to Immune Checkpoint Blockade Is Best Limited to Specific Subtypes of Gastric Cancers". Gastroenterology. 161 (2): 727. doi:10.1053/j.gastro.2021.03.047. PMID 33798523.
  3. ^ "The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2018". NobelPrize.org. Retrieved 4 August 2019.