title: Monitoring immune responses in the tumor microenvironment.
abstract: Immune monitoring in the tumor microenvironment allows for important insights into immune mechanisms of response and resistance to various cancer treatments; however clinical challenges exist using current strategies. Significant questions remain regarding monitoring of archival versus fresh tissue, assessment of static versus dynamic markers, evaluation of limited tissue samples, and the translation of insights gained from immunologically 'hot' tumors such as melanoma to other 'cold' tumor microenvironments prevalent in other cancer types. Current and emerging immune monitoring strategies will be examined herein, and genomic-based assays complementing these techniques will also be discussed. Finally, host genomic and external environmental factors influencing anti-tumor immune responses will be considered, including the role of the gut microbiome. Though optimal immune monitoring techniques are in evolution, great promise exists in recent advances that will help guide patient selection as far as type, sequence, and combination of therapeutic regimens to enhance anti-tumor immunity and clinical responses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Oncology, Genomic Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
authors.forename: Jennifer A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Wargo
authors.affiliation: Division of Cancer Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1400 Holcombe Blvd, Unit 463, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
authors.forename: Sangeetha M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Reddy
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
authors.forename: Alexandre
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Reuben
authors.affiliation: Department of Genitourinary Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1155 Pressler Street, Unit 1374, Houston, TX 77030, USA. Electronic address: padsharma@mdanderson.org.
authors.forename: Padmanee
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sharma
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D015166:Monitoring, Immunologic; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D059016:Tumor Microenvironment / Q000276:immunology*