Escape from immunotherapy: possible mechanisms that influence tumor regression/progression

Cancer Immunol Immunother. 2004 Oct;53(10):844-54. doi: 10.1007/s00262-004-0540-x. Epub 2004 Jun 10.

Abstract

Tumor escape is one major obstacle that has to be addressed prior to designing and delivering successful immunotherapy. There is compelling evidence to support the notion that immunogenic tumors, in murine models and cancer patients, can be rejected by the immune system under optimum conditions for activating adaptive and nonadaptive antitumor immune responses. Despite this capability, a large number of tumors continue to grow and evade recognition and/or destruction by the immune system. The limited success in current immunotherapeutic strategies may be due to a variety of reasons: failure of effector cells to compete with the growing tumor burden, production of humoral factors by tumors that locally block cytotoxicity, antigen/MHC loss, T-cell dysfunction, production of suppressor T cells-to name but a few causes for therapeutic ineffectiveness for the particular malignancy being treated. To optimize immunotherapy strategies, correction of immune-activating signals, eradication of inhibitory factors, and the evasion from newly developed immunoresistant tumor phenotypes need to be simultaneously considered.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antigens, Neoplasm / immunology
  • Apoptosis
  • B7-1 Antigen / genetics
  • B7-1 Antigen / physiology
  • Cytokines / physiology
  • Dendritic Cells / immunology
  • Disease Progression
  • Genetic Therapy
  • Humans
  • Immunologic Surveillance
  • Immunotherapy*
  • Lymphocyte Subsets / immunology
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Neoplasms / immunology*
  • Neoplasms / therapy
  • Neoplasms, Experimental / immunology
  • Neoplasms, Experimental / therapy
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / physiology
  • Signal Transduction
  • Treatment Failure
  • Tryptophan Oxygenase / physiology
  • Tumor Escape* / immunology
  • Tumor Escape* / physiology
  • fas Receptor / physiology

Substances

  • Antigens, Neoplasm
  • B7-1 Antigen
  • Cytokines
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins
  • fas Receptor
  • Tryptophan Oxygenase