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.
Lollini
Pier-Luigi
PL
Cancer Research Section, Department of Experimental Pathology, University of Bologna, Viale Filopanti 22, I-40126 Bologna, Italy. pierluigi.lollini@unibo.it
De Giovanni
Carla
C
Pannellini
Tania
T
Cavallo
Federica
F
Forni
Guido
G
Nanni
Patrizia
P
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