title: Advances in strategies and methodologies in cancer immunotherapy.
abstract: Since the invention of Coley's toxin by William Coley in early 1900s, the path for cancer immunotherapy has been a convoluted one. Although still not considered standard of care, with the FDA approval of trastuzumab, Provenge and ipilimumab, the medical and scientific community has started to embrace the possibility that immunotherapy could be a new hope for cancer patients with otherwise untreatable metastatic diseases. This review aims to summarize the development of some major strategies in cancer immunotherapy, from the earliest peptide vaccine and transfer of tumor specific antibodies/T cells to the more recent dendritic cell (DC) vaccines, whole cell tumor vaccines, and checkpoint blockade therapy. Discussion of some major milestones and obstacles in the shaping of the field and the future perspectives is included. Photoimmunotherapy is also reviewed as an example of emerging new therapies combining phototherapy and immunotherapy.
authors.affiliation: Immunophotonics Inc., 4320 Forest Park Ave. #303, St. Louis, MO 63108, USA.
authors.forename: Samuel S K
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Lam
authors.affiliation: Biophotonics Research Laboratory, Center for Interdisciplinary Biomedical Education and Research, University of Central Oklahoma, Edmond, OK 73034, USA.
authors.forename: Feifan
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Immunophotonics Inc., 4320 Forest Park Ave. #303, St. Louis, MO 63108, USA.
authors.forename: Tomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hode
authors.affiliation: Immunophotonics Inc., 4320 Forest Park Ave. #303, St. Louis, MO 63108, USA.
authors.forename: Robert E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Nordquist
authors.affiliation: Immunophotonics Inc., 4320 Forest Park Ave. #303, St. Louis, MO 63108, USA.
authors.forename: Luciano
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Alleruzzo
authors.affiliation: Immunophotonics Inc., 4320 Forest Park Ave. #303, St. Louis, MO 63108, USA.
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Raker
authors.affiliation: Biophotonics Research Laboratory, Center for Interdisciplinary Biomedical Education and Research, University of Central Oklahoma, Edmond, OK 73034, USA and Immunophotonics Inc., 4320 Forest Park Ave. #303, St. Louis, MO 63108, USA.
authors.forename: Wei R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017951:Antigen Presentation; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000276:immunology; D019496:Cancer Vaccines; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000166:cytology; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D000074324:Ipilimumab; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy*; D010789:Phototherapy / Q000379:methods; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology; D014020:Tissue Extracts / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000068878:Trastuzumab / Q000627:therapeutic use; D022223:Vaccines, Subunit / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D019496:Cancer Vaccines; D000074324:Ipilimumab; D014020:Tissue Extracts; D022223:Vaccines, Subunit; C511774:sipuleucel-T; D000068878:Trastuzumab