title: Radiotherapy of human sarcoma promotes an intratumoral immune effector signature.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The tumor immune microenvironment plays a crucial role in the development and progression of cancer. Sarcomas are a group of heterogeneous soft tissue malignancies that are often treated with radiotherapy as a part of the treatment concept. There is increasing evidence that radiotherapy leads to alterations in the tumor microenvironment, particularly with respect to the immune infiltrate. This study has been carried out to develop a better understanding of such changes following radiotherapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively analyzed the expression of 35 immune response-related genes by quantitative reverse transcription PCR analysis and immunohistochemistry on paired formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tumor samples from 38 sarcoma patients before and after radiotherapy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We observed that radiotherapy results in a significant upregulation of several immune effectors and cancer-testis antigens and a concomitant downregulation of immune suppressors, indicating that radiotherapy may support the immune defense in sarcomas.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These novel findings may have implications for the design of therapeutic regimens which exploite the immune system in sarcoma patients by combining standard radiotherapy with immunotherapeutic strategies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Anu
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: Beata
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bode
authors.forename: Gabriela
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Studer
authors.forename: Holger
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Moch
authors.forename: Michal
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Okoniewski
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Knuth
authors.forename: Lotta
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: von Boehmer
authors.forename: Maries
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: van den Broek
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000276:immunology* / Q000528:radiation effects; D005805:Genes, MHC Class I / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D016612:Paraffin Embedding; D012509:Sarcoma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology / Q000532:radiotherapy; D012983:Soft Tissue Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology / Q000532:radiotherapy; D059016:Tumor Microenvironment / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm