Immune surveillance and natural resistance: an evaluation.
Concepts in tumour immunology are changing fundamentally. Around 1970 tumour immunology contained the following related concepts: Thousands of tumour cells arise de novo each day. Tumour cells are antigenic in their host. All these antigenic tumour cells are killed by a strong immune surveillance system. A more likely set of concepts looks as follows: Tumour cells do not arise frequently. Tumour cells may be antigenic or not. There is no need to postulate a very strong immune surveillance or natural resistance system. In this paper I am reviewing our present knowledge of immune surveillance and natural resistance. Only scanty information appears to be available. This information suggests that virally induced tumours are usually killed by cytotoxic T lymphocytes, and natural killer cells, whereas immune surveillance and natural resistance against other tumours may be quite weak.
D000818:Animals; D000912:Antibodies, Neoplasm / Q000276:immunology; D000920:Antibody-Dependent Cell Cytotoxicity; D000938:Antigen-Presenting Cells / Q000276:immunology; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D006801:Humans; D007109:Immunity; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology*; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000276:immunology
D000912:Antibodies, Neoplasm