Cancer immunoediting: antigens, mechanisms, and implications to cancer immunotherapy

Abstract

Accumulated data from animal models and human cancer patients strongly support the concept that the immune system can identify and control nascent tumor cells in a process called cancer immunosurveillance. In addition, the immune system can also promote tumor progression through chronic inflammation, immunoselection of poorly immunogenic variants, and suppressing antitumor immunity. Together, the dual host-protective and tumor-promoting actions of immunity are referred to as cancer immunoediting. The current framework of cancer immunoediting is a dynamic process comprised of three distinct phases: elimination, equilibrium, and escape. Recently, we demonstrated that immunoselection by CD8(+) T cells of tumor variants lacking strong tumor-specific antigens represents one mechanism by which cancer cells escape tumor immunity and points toward the future of personalized cancer therapy.