title: Immunosuppressive mechanisms in cancer: consequences for the development of therapeutic vaccines.
abstract: Recent investigations revealed strong immunosuppressive mechanisms in tumors that may block anti-tumor T cells and be responsible for failures of immunotherapies. Current attempts to overcome this immunosuppression include blockade of co-inhibitory factors on T cells. Reports from the respective trials indicate that the strategy can improve efficacy of therapeutic vaccination, but at the cost of severe inflammatory and autoimmune reactions. We tried to circumvent tumor-associated immunosuppression by mimotope vaccination to broaden reactive anti-tumor T cell repertoires to include T cells that have not been rendered anergic by the tumor. Initial clinical observations suggest that this strategy bears considerable promise.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Humboldt University, Germany.
authors.forename: Stefanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gross
authors.forename: Astrid
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Geldmacher
authors.forename: Tumenjargal
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sharav
authors.forename: Florian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Losch
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Walden
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019496:Cancer Vaccines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte; D006801:Humans; D007108:Immune Tolerance; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D019496:Cancer Vaccines; D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte