The age of immunotherapy—Celebrating STEM CELLS' contribution to understanding mechanisms of immune system development and modulation

Abstract

The exciting successes and commercialization of immunotherapy this year have led us into a new age. Cell-based immunotherapy, which utilizes gene-modified cells from a cancer patient's immune system, can offer another chance at life after relapse. [1][2][3] Gene-modified chimeric antigen receptor (CAR-T) cells can seek out and eliminate cancer cells throughout the body. Other cells of the immune system (NK cells and B cells) can also be modified to recognize and mount an attack on cancer cells. Immunotherapy using genetically modified cells is a relatively new and hugely exciting field with much potential, and one in which STEM CELLS has played an important role over the past 36 years by publishing mechanisms of development and regulation of the immune system.During the past year, we published some truly excellent basic science manuscripts in STEM CELLS that will help move the field forward.