title: Combination regimens of radiation therapy and therapeutic cancer vaccines: mechanisms and opportunities.
abstract: Radiation therapy (RT) is widely used with curative or palliative intent in the clinical management of multiple cancers. Although mainly aimed at direct tumor cell killing, mounting evidence suggests that radiation can alter the tumor to become an immunostimulatory milieu. Data suggest that the immunogenic effects of radiation can be exploited to promote synergistic antitumor effects in combination with immunotherapeutic agents. We review concepts associated with the immunogenic consequences of RT and highlight how preclinical findings are translating into clinical benefit for patients receiving combination regimens of RT and therapeutic cancer vaccines.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA.
authors.forename: Charlie
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Garnett-Benson
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD. Electronic address: jh241d@nih.gov.
authors.forename: James W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Hodge
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD.
authors.forename: Sofia R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Gameiro
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019496:Cancer Vaccines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000532:radiotherapy*
chemical_list: D019496:Cancer Vaccines