Current approaches in cancer immunotherapy

Abstract

Methods of cancer immunotherapy have finally entered clinical medicine after years of preclinical research. Currently, there are several methods, which have proven to be very effective even in cases of incurable cancer. Antitumor monoclonal antibodies are among major therapeutic anti-cancer drugs and have been successfully used for many years. Novel group of antibodies are immunomodulatory antibodies which can break tumor-specific immune tolerance and induce regression of tumors by non-specific activation of immune system. Bispecific antibodies represent a novel class of anti-cancer agents which can induce expansion of T cells IN VIVO, blinatumomab is an example of such agents and is currently available for the treatment of acute B-cell leukemia. Cellular immunotherapy is also very effective, especially the use of Chimeric receptor modified T-cells for the therapy of B-cell lymphoproliferative diseases. Although it is a very complicated and expensive method, it is highly effective approach which can induce remission even in previously hopeless conditions. The goal of this article is to explain the basic principles of cancer immunotherapy and summarize the newest findings in this field.