Relevance of the immune system in human urological malignancies: prospective for future clinical treatments

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Immunology
• Cancer Research

Background:

• The immune system's role in fighting cancer, known as immune surveillance, is a long-standing area of research.
• Recent animal and human studies have renewed interest in the immune surveillance hypothesis for tumor control.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review current advancements in cancer immunotherapy, including cytokine therapy, adoptive immunotherapy, and gene therapy.
• To propose strategies for better patient selection for immunotherapy and enhance treatment efficacy.

Main Methods:

• Compilation and synthesis of findings from diverse scientific disciplines.
• Discussion of various immunotherapy approaches and their clinical implications.
• Exploration of therapeutic strategies targeting major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I antigen re-expression.

Main Results:

• Immunotherapy can be crucial for managing early-stage cancers and minimal residual disease post-debulking.
• Current immunotherapy approaches require careful patient selection for optimal results.

Conclusions:

• Cancer immunotherapy holds significant potential, especially when combined with conventional treatments.
• Therapies aimed at increasing major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I antigen expression could enhance the effectiveness of cancer immune-therapy.