Abstract
The immune response to evolving prostate cancer is a complex and carefully orchestrated process. Such a response is initiated when immature dendritic cells take up and process tumor-associated antigens. These dendritic cells must then be activated in order to present peptides to helper (CD4) T cells. Cytolytic (CD8) T cells are next "licensed" to achieve full effector function by interacting with both antigen presenting cells and tumor-specific CD4 T cells. Finally, activated CD8 T cells traffic to sites of neoplasia and mediate killing by multiple mechanisms. This article provides a basic overview of these processes, and discusses the manner by which current clinical interventions seek to augment or initiate an antitumor immune response. Various compensatory mechanisms which serve to down-regulate an antitumor response are also examined.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 413-418 |
Number of pages | 6 |
Journal | Urologic Oncology: Seminars and Original Investigations |
Volume | 24 |
Issue number | 5 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Sep 2006 |
Keywords
- Immunology
- Prostate
- T cell
- Tumor
- Vaccine
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Oncology
- Urology