Cancer immunoprevention.
Immunoprevention is a fresh approach to cancer prevention based on the stimulation of the immune system before tumor onset. Immunoprevention was effective in various models of carcinogen-induced or autochthonous tumor progression. Vaccines made of cells or DNA plasmids combined with appropriate adjuvants completely blocked mammary carcinogenesis in HER-2/neu transgenic mice. At variance with cancer immunotherapy, the mediators of immunoprevention are antibodies and T-cell-derived cytokines, rather than cytotoxic T-cells. Immunopreventive approaches and chemoprevention with tamoxifen or cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors can be combined advantageously. The success obtained in preclinical studies suggests that cancer immunoprevention should progress to clinical testing.
Cancer Research Section, Department of Experimental Pathology, University of Bologna, Viale Filopanti 22, I-40126 Bologna, Italy. pierluigi.lollini@unibo.it
Pier-Luigi
PL
Lollini
Carla
C
De Giovanni
Tania
T
Pannellini
Federica
F
Cavallo
Guido
G
Forni
Patrizia
P
Nanni
D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016588:Anticarcinogenic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019496:Cancer Vaccines / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007107:Immune System / Q000502:physiology; D018664:Interleukin-12 / Q000235:genetics; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011230:Precancerous Conditions / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000276:immunology* / Q000502:physiology; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology; D019444:Vaccines, DNA / Q000276:immunology
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D016588:Anticarcinogenic Agents; D019496:Cancer Vaccines; D018664:Interleukin-12; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D019444:Vaccines, DNA