HLA-G regulators in cancer medicine: an outline of key requirements

HLA-G is unique among the class I human leukocyte antigens. It plays a pivotal role in immune tolerance and a paradoxical role in therapies. Indeed, HLA-G expression is associated with a good prognosis in organ transplantation and an ominous prognosis in cancer. Recent progress has been made in HLA-G regulation identification, especially on human cell lines; however, little is known about their role in cancer therapy. Based on the role of HLA-G expression in cancer, we investigated the potential impact of the regulation of this expression on the outcome of some cancers. In this communication, we emphasize the importance of screening for HLA-G expression after cancer therapy. Future clinical trials could lead to a better understanding of the implication of HLA-G expression in cancer and lead to a better knowledge of cancer monitoring and recurrence. These studies could also implicate HLA-G as a therapeutic target in cancer therapy.