1,722,145 research outputs found
Melanoma as a model tumour for immuno-oncology
No full textMelanoma is one of the most aggressive forms of skin cancer. Furthermore, incidence rates are increasing. Until recently, no agent had been shown to improve survival over supportive care and treatment guidelines recommended that patients with metastatic disease were entered into clinical trials. With so few treatment options available, there was a clear need for new, more effective treatments in this setting. Melanoma serves as a 'model' tumour for understanding immunity to cancer. Melanoma tumour-associated antigens were among the first cancer antigens to be identified and classified, with further studies showing that many of these are also expressed by other tumour types. In addition, melanoma regression has been associated with vitiligo, visibly confirming an active role of the immune system in this type of cancer, and spontaneous regression of primary melanomas has also been observed in some cases. These observations, relating to the activity of the immune system in melanoma, provided strong evidence that this tumour would be amenable to immunotherapy, with immunotherapies such as cytokines, adoptive cell transfer and T-cell modulators shown to be an effective therapeutic approach. Against this background, melanoma has long been at the cutting edge of immuno-oncology research and will likely continue to be used as a model tumour to increase our understanding of immuno-oncology and to inform development in other types of cancer
Immune checkpoint blockade in malignant mesothelioma: A novel therapeutic strategy against a deadly disease?
No full textMalignant mesothelioma (MM) is a highly aggressive malignancy with a very dismal prognosis. Current treatment for unresectable MM is largely unsatisfactory; therefore, new therapeutic approaches are eagerly awaited. A better understanding of the complex mechanisms of immune escape operated by neoplastic cells and the ability to unleash an efficient anti-tumor immune response by targeting regulatory immune checkpoint(s) with immunomodulatory monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), is leading to very promising clinical results in different tumor types. Herein, we highlight the clinical impact so far identified for these new immunomodulatory agents in MM patients and discuss their prospective use to design novel clinical trials. (C) 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved
Introduction to Immunologic Checkpoints for Cancer Treatment: From Scientific Rationale to Clinical Application
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