Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy

Patients are beginning to benefit from antibody based, cellular and vaccine approaches that are effective against genetically diverse and therapy-resistance cancers. BCG immunotherapy is now being used as a first line treatment for human bladder cancer and the introduction of prophylactic vaccination against Hepatitis B and HPV cancers is starting to show positive results. Following recent FDA approval for a vaccination against prostate cancer, and optimistic results in clinical trials for a vaccine targeting cancer antigens in lung cancer, cancer immunotherapy is now significantly impacting patient clinical management. Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy provides an up-to-date and comprehensive account of cancer immunity and immunotherapy. It discusses our adaptive and innate immunity to cancer, the mechanisms underpinning our immune response, current approaches to cancer immunotherapy, and how tumour and host responses can circumvent effective anti-cancer immunity. The book examines recent results, publications and current areas of interest including 'immune editing' and the specific issues that are affecting the research and development of vaccines, providing insight into how these problems may be overcome, as viewed by world leaders in the field. Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy will appeal to clinicians working in oncology and cancer immunotherapy, and research scientists including PhD and masters students, post-doctoral researchers and senior investigators.

1. Adaptive T-cell immunity and tumor antigen recognition

2. Impact of aging and body mass on cancer immunotherapy outcomes

3. The potential of natural killer cells in cancer immunotherapy

4. The tumour microenvironment: the role of tumour associated macrophages in cancer progression and responses to therapy

5. "Hard" and "soft" loss of MHC class I expression in cancer cells

6. Modulation of the adaptive immune system through chronic inflammation and T-regulatory responses

7. Myeloid-derived suppressor cells: immune suppressive cells that facilitate tumor progression and promote and deter cancer-associated inflammation.

8. Triggering death receptors as a means of inducing tumoricidal activity

9. Identification of tumor antigens for clinical evaluation

10. Viral antigens as targets for prophylactic and therapeutic intervention in cancer

11. HER-2/neu as a target for vaccine and antibody directed therapies

12. Pre-clinical evaluation of immunotherapy: the case for prostate cancer and the tramp model

13. Tumor-associated antigens characterized in a conceptual framework of biology, microenvironment, and therapy

14. Predictive biomarkers to better select patients for cancer immunotherapy

15. Viral platforms for expression of tumour antigens in cancer immunotherapy

16. Translating research into clinical practice: lessons from the immunology and immunotherapy of haemopoietic malignancies

17. DNA vaccines

18. Programming the immune system through childhood infections: MUC1 Tumor Associated Antigen (TAA) as a Disease Associated Antigen (DAA)

19. Vaccination against myeloid leukaemias using newly defined antigens

20. Immune-checkpoint blockade in cancer immunotherapy

21. Multi-peptide cancer vaccines for clinical application

22. Adoptive T-cell therapy using TILs for the treatment of metastatic melanoma

23. Chimeric antigen receptor gene therapy in cancer

24. The vaccinal effect of monoclonal antibodies in cancer therapy

25. Antibody therapies: defining appropriate cell surface epitopes for targeting tumours

26. Adoptive lymphocyte (stem cell) therapy in cancer

27. Cancer Stem Cells (CSCs) and Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT): Tumor Cell Plasticity Challenges Immunotherapy

28. Immune escape and aging of the immune system compromises the immune response to tumor antigens