Immunotherapy as an Option for Cancer Treatment

Abstract

The progress in melanoma immunotherapy highlights the importance of immunotherapy for cancer treatment. Although the concept of immunotherapy emerged in the beginning of the twentieth century, the end of the century signaled the start of modern immunotherapy, which has recently allowed a staggering progress in the field of cancer immunotherapy. Currently, there is a wide variety of immunotherapeutic approaches and critical improvements are continually being made. Among different immunotherapeutic strategies, therapies based on the blockade of immune checkpoint molecules have shown unparalleled efficacy in late-stage cancer patients. Pre-clinical research using ex vivo and in vivo approaches demonstrates the promise of numerous novel strategies for the immunotherapy of cancer.

Colorectal Cancer Immunotherapy: Options and Strategies

“…Cytokines are a group of small cell-signaling polypeptides with a molecular weight of less than 30 kDa (204). They are secreted by various cells mainly the immune cells (T cells, neutrophils and macrophages), endothelial cells, fibroblasts, and other stromal cells (205). There are more than 130 cytokines with various roles.…”

Toll‐like receptors: The role in bladder cancer development, progression and immunotherapy

“…Immunotherapy is an effective way to treatment of cancer, and its approval in urothelial cancer management confirms the relevance of immune system in cancer development as well as cancer control.…”

The Relevance of Mass Spectrometry Analysis for Personalized Medicine through Its Successful Application in Cancer “Omics”

“…Thus; recognition and elimination of cancer cells and the tumor microenvironment through an endogenous defense mechanism can be used to determine the stabilization and remission of the disease. In this way; cancer immunotherapy can enhance treatment efficiency through the combination of external treatments such as chemo-; radio-therapy or surgery with the internal defense [179]. Several strategies have been proposed for cancer immunotherapy trying to connect immune response stimulation against cancer cells with shifting immune balance from editing to elimination [180].…”

“…Thus; active immunotherapy stimulates the host immune system to produce an endogenous defense response for cancer cells: for example; utilizing cancer vaccines; adoptive cell transfer; adjuvants or checkpoint inhibitors. For passive immunotherapy; the host immune response is initiated by external compounds such as monoclonal antibodies and cytokines [179]. Recently; immunotherapy approaches have tried to boost the response of T cells and improve immune system activation of cancer cell destruction.…”