title: Mechanisms of T-cell inhibition: implications for cancer immunotherapy.
abstract: Cancer vaccines designed to augment effector T-cell responses have been disappointing with respect to clinical efficacy. This lack of effectiveness may be due to the fact that regulatory mechanisms, both intrinsic and extrinsic to activated T cells, play important roles in inhibiting vaccine-induced effector T-cell responses. This concept raises the possibility that blockade of these regulatory checkpoints might enhance anti-tumor immune responses. In this review, we discuss several regulatory mechanisms that act to control effector T-cell responses and identify strategies to circumvent these mechanisms in order to improve clinical responses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Oncology, Unit 444, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd, Houston, TX 77030, USA. eamitten@mdanderson.org
authors.forename: Elizabeth A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Mittendorf
authors.forename: Padmanee
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sharma
mesh_terms: D019496:Cancer Vaccines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007108:Immune Tolerance; D007167:Immunotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D019496:Cancer Vaccines