Immunotherapy for malignant melanoma--tracing Ariadne's thread through the labyrinth

A working group (FEBIM) within the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer undertook extensive studies on the possible association of infectious diseases and the risk of malignant melanoma. These studies provided evidence that several infectious diseases and also some vaccines including the anti-tuberculosis vaccine, BCG, derived from Mycobacterium bovis, confer a significant level of protection against this form of cancer. In recent years, the importance of immunoregulatory networks in the establishment of tolerance to tumour antigens and the key role of the innate immune system in the development of such networks have been recognised. The molecular patterns of micro-organisms activate pattern recognition receptors on antigen presenting cells and determine the qualitative nature of the ensuing immune response. Bacteria in the actinomycetales family, notably members of the genus Mycobacterium, exhibit particularly powerful adjuvant activity and profoundly affect underlying patterns of immune reactivity. In particular, there is growing evidence that a heat-killed preparation of a strain of Mycobacterium vaccae is able to down-regulate patterns of immune reactivity that favour the tumour and to induce those that lead to anti-cancer immune responses. The results of preliminary clinical observations with melanoma patients, and published studies on other cancers, point to the need for more formal clinical trials.