Influence of p53 on anti-tumor immunity (review).
Self-tolerance and tumor-induced peripheral tolerance may be responsible for the limitations of the immune system in controlling tumor growth in cancer patients. It is known, that self-proteins are continuously processed and presented by antigen presenting cells. During development, auto-reactive T cells encountering self peptide/self-MHC complexes are being eliminated in the thymus. This process called 'negative selection' results in the removal of nascent auto-reactive T cells thus preventing an autoimmune attack of our own tissues. Many self-peptides (e.g. parts of p53), despite their high affinity for self-MHC, remain cryptic in the thymus and do not mediate cell deletion. Under conditions that favor up-regulation of cryptic self-determinants, one or more of these subsets of the 'protected' T cell repertoires, can be stimulated by these self-determinants, leading to induction of autoreactivity. The latter could eventually result in auto-immunity under permissive conditions governed by MHC and non-MHC genes. Thus, considering tumor tissue a 'modified self-tissue', this process that may have evolved to prevent excessive purge of the T cell repertoire, providing the potential for the development of autoimmune responses and therefore for anti-cancer therapy in adults.
Bueter
Marco
M
Department of Surgery I, Molecular Oncology and Immunology, University of Wuerzburg, D-97080 Wuerzburg, Germany.
Gasser
Martin
M
Lebedeva
Tatiana
T
Benichou
Gilles
G
Waaga-Gasser
Ana Maria
AM
D000818:Animals; D000912:Antibodies, Neoplasm / Q000097:blood*; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D019496:Cancer Vaccines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007108:Immune Tolerance; D009154:Mutation; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D017634:Self Tolerance; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*
D000912:Antibodies, Neoplasm; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D019496:Cancer Vaccines; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53