Multifaceted kinetics of immuno-evasion from tumor dormancy

Adv Exp Med Biol. 2013:734:111-43. doi: 10.1007/978-1-4614-1445-2_7.

Abstract

Tumor progression is subject to modulation by the immune system. The immune system can eliminate tumors or keep them at a dormant equilibrium size, while some tumors escape immunomodulation and advance to malignancy. Herein, we discuss some aspects of immune evasion of dormant tumors from a theoretical biophysics point of view that can be modeled mathematically. We go on to analyze the mathematical system on multiple timescales. First, we consider a long timescale where tumor evasion is likely due to adaptive (and somewhat deterministic) immuno-editing. Then, we consider the temporal mesoscale and hypothesize that extrinsic noise could be a major factor in induction of immuno-evasion. Implications of immuno-evasive mechanisms for the outcome of immunotherapies are also discussed. In addition, we discuss the ideas that population level tumor dormancy may not be a quiescence phenomenon and that dormant tumors can, at least if modulated by the immune system, live a very active and noisy life!

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cell Communication
  • Cell Death
  • Cell Movement
  • Computational Biology / methods
  • Computer Simulation
  • Humans
  • Immunotherapy / methods
  • Kinetics
  • Models, Immunological
  • Neoplasms / immunology*
  • Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Neoplasms / therapy
  • Neoplastic Stem Cells / immunology*
  • Neoplastic Stem Cells / pathology
  • T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / immunology
  • Time Factors
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Tumor Escape*
  • Tumor Microenvironment