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Concept
Cancer immunology
Summary
Cancer immunology is an interdisciplinary branch of biology that is concerned with understanding the role of the immune system in the progression and development of cancer; the most well known application is cancer immunotherapy, which utilises the immune system as a treatment for cancer. Cancer immunosurveillance and immunoediting are based on protection against development of tumors in animal systems and (ii) identification of targets for immune recognition of human cancer.
Cancer immunology is an interdisciplinary branch of biology concerned with the role of the immune system in the progression and development of cancer; the most well known application is cancer immunotherapy, where the immune system is used to treat cancer. Cancer immunosurveillance is a theory formulated in 1957 by Burnet and Thomas, who proposed that lymphocytes act as sentinels in recognizing and eliminating continuously arising, nascent transformed cells. Cancer immunosurveillance appears to be an important host protection process that decreases cancer rates through inhibition of carcinogenesis and maintaining of regular cellular homeostasis. It has also been suggested that immunosurveillance primarily functions as a component of a more general process of cancer immunoediting.
Tumor antigen
Tumors may express tumor antigens that are recognized by the immune system and may induce an immune response. These tumor antigens are either TSA (Tumor-specific antigen) or TAA (Tumor-associated antigen).
Tumor-specific antigens (TSA) are antigens that only occur in tumor cells. TSAs can be products of oncoviruses like E6 and E7 proteins of human papillomavirus, occurring in cervical carcinoma, or EBNA-1 protein of EBV, occurring in Burkitt's lymphoma cells. Another example of TSAs are abnormal products of mutated oncogenes (e.g. Ras protein) and anti-oncogenes (e.g. p53).
Tumor-associated antigens (TAA) are present in healthy cells, but for some reason they also occur in tumor cells. However, they differ in quantity, place or time period of expression.
Official source
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