title: Inhibitors of indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase for cancer therapy: can we see the wood for the trees?
abstract: Indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) is an immunosuppressive enzyme capable of inhibiting a destructive maternal T cell response against allogeneic fetuses. Expression of IDO is evident in tumours and is thought to enable escape from immunologically mediated rejection. Consequently, clinical trials using an inhibitor of IDO, 1-methyltryptophan (1MT), have been initiated. However, a review of the current literature indicates that we are far from understanding the biological relevance of IDO expression during tumorigenesis. A better understanding of IDO biology is needed to comprehend the effect of IDO inhibitors and to provide a rationale for their therapeutic application in cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of General, Visceral and Transplant Surgery, University Hospital of Tubingen, Hoppe-Seyler-Strasse 3, Tubingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Löb
authors.forename: Alfred
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Königsrainer
authors.forename: Hans-Georg
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Rammensee
authors.forename: Gerhard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Opelz
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Terness
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D050503:Indoleamine-Pyrrole 2,3,-Dioxygenase / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D050503:Indoleamine-Pyrrole 2,3,-Dioxygenase