Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 9, 2026
12:19
Co-Culture In Vitro Systems to Reproduce the Cancer-Immunity Cycle
Published on: June 7, 2024
Immune system: a double-edged sword in cancer
Bodduluru Lakshmi Narendra1, Kasala Eshvendar Reddy, Saladi Shantikumar
1Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Balanagar, 500037 Hyderabad, India.
Summary
The immune system plays a dual role in cancer, with some immune cells like CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) and NK cells fighting tumors, while others promote cancer growth. Understanding this complex interaction is key to cancer immunotherapy.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Oncology
- Cancer Research
Background:
- The immune system protects against pathogens and transformed cells.
- Recent research reveals the immune system can also promote tumor growth.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the dual role of innate and adaptive immune cells in cancer.
- To review the mechanisms of immune surveillance, immunoediting, and immune evasion in tumors.
Main Methods:
- Comprehensive literature search of PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases.
- Focused on natural killer (NK) cells, macrophages, CD4+, and CD8+ T cells in cancer.
- Manual reference searching of relevant articles.
Main Results:
- CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL), CD4+ T helper (TH)1 cells, and NK cells with interferon (IFN)-γ are key antitumor effector cells.
- CD4+TH2 cells and myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) promote tumor growth.
- Macrophages, regulatory T cells (Treg), and TH17 cells exhibit dual roles in cancer progression.
Conclusions:
- The immune system acts as a double-edged sword in cancer, capable of both inhibiting and promoting tumor development.
- Immune evasion by tumor cells is facilitated by immunosuppressive mechanisms.
- Targeting specific immune cell functions holds potential for cancer therapy.
Related Concept Videos
01:27Tumor Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy is a treatment that boosts or manipulates the immune system to fight diseases, including cancer. For instance, by stimulating an immune response through vaccinations against viruses that cause cancers, like hepatitis B virus and human papillomavirus, these diseases can be prevented. Nonetheless, some cancer cells can avoid the immune system due to their rapid mutation and division. The immune response to many cancers involves three phases: elimination, equilibrium, and escape.
02:53Adaptive Mechanisms in Cancer Cells
Cancer cells accumulate genetic changes at an abnormally rapid rate due to the defects in the DNA repair mechanisms. From an evolutionary perspective, such genetic instability is advantageous for cancer development. Mutant cell lines accumulate a series of beneficial mutations that contribute to their progression into cancer.
Some of the advantages that cancer cells have on normal cells include - enhanced ability to divide without terminally differentiating, induce new blood vessel formation,...
Some of the advantages that cancer cells have on normal cells include - enhanced ability to divide without terminally differentiating, induce new blood vessel formation,...
02:53Adaptive Mechanisms in Cancer Cells
Cancer cells accumulate genetic changes at an abnormally rapid rate due to the defects in the DNA repair mechanisms. From an evolutionary perspective, such genetic instability is advantageous for cancer development. Mutant cell lines accumulate a series of beneficial mutations that contribute to their progression into cancer.
Some of the advantages that cancer cells have on normal cells include - enhanced ability to divide without terminally differentiating, induce new blood vessel formation,...
Some of the advantages that cancer cells have on normal cells include - enhanced ability to divide without terminally differentiating, induce new blood vessel formation,...
01:19Psychoneuroimmunology: Diabetes and Cancer
Chronic stress has been linked to both the onset and progression of serious health conditions, including Type 2 diabetes and cancer. Type 2 diabetes, a widespread chronic illness, is closely associated with obesity and insulin resistance, both of which often worsen under stress. Studies indicate that men experiencing high levels of chronic stress face a 45% higher risk of developing diabetes compared to those with minimal stress. Stress triggers physiological responses that elevate blood...
01:27Cytotoxic T Cells-mediated Immune Response
Cytotoxic T cells are a vital component of the immune system. They have the remarkable ability to identify and target antigens on infected or abnormal cells. These antigens often originate from intracellular pathogens such as viruses or abnormal proteins cancer cells produce.
Immunological surveillance is the ability of immune cells to monitor and eliminate infected cells with intracellular pathogens, neoplastically transformed cells, and cells with non-self antigens. Cytotoxic T cells and NK...
Immunological surveillance is the ability of immune cells to monitor and eliminate infected cells with intracellular pathogens, neoplastically transformed cells, and cells with non-self antigens. Cytotoxic T cells and NK...
02:50Combination Therapies and Personalized Medicine
Combining two or more treatment methods increases the life span of cancer patients while reducing damage to vital organs or tissue from the overuse of a single treatment. Combination therapy also targets different cancer-inducing pathways, thus reducing the chances of developing resistance to treatment.
The combination of the drug acetazolamide and sulforaphane is a good example of combination therapy to treat cancer. The cells in the interior of a large tumor often die due to the hypoxic and...
The combination of the drug acetazolamide and sulforaphane is a good example of combination therapy to treat cancer. The cells in the interior of a large tumor often die due to the hypoxic and...