Targets for active immunotherapy against pediatric solid tumors

Abstract

The potential role of antibodies and T lymphocytes in the eradication of cancer has been demonstrated in numerous animal models and clinical trials. In the last decennia new strategies have been developed for the use of tumor-speciWc T cells and antibodies in cancer therapy. EVective anti-tumor immunotherapy requires the identiWcation of suitable target antigens. The expression of tumorspeciWc antigens has been extensively studied for most types of adult tumors. Pediatric patients should be excellent candidates for immunotherapy since their immune system is more potent and Xexible as compared to that of adults. So far, these patients do not beneWt enough from the progresses in cancer immunotherapy, and one of the reasons is the paucity of tumor-speciWc antigens identiWed on pediatric tumors. In this review we discuss the current status of cancer immunotherapy in children, focusing on the identiWcation of tumor-speciWc antigens on pediatric solid tumors.

Immunotherapy of pediatric brain tumor patients should include an immunoprevention strategy: a medical hypothesis paper

“…In contrast, younger individuals’ thymus is still capable of generating T cell diversity, which may specifically adapt to the brain tumor-associated antigens. Similar conclusions have been recently been reviewed by Jacobs and colleagues [59]. …”

Three-Dimensional Tumor Model and T-Lymphocytes Immunotherapy for Cancer

“…This finding has been recognized as a good prognostic factor in several types of tumors. 73 Along these lines, tumor-infiltrating immune cells turned out to be critical indicators for an efficient antitumor immune response, and the number and type of tumor-infiltrating immune cells determined the resulting tumor prognosis. 72 Tumor-infiltrating immune cells have frequently been observed in a wide variety of pediatric tumors.…”

“…DCs are highly mobile cells and by their sequential migration from peripheral tissues to lymphoid organs they serve as sentinels of the immune system. 73 However, many questions still remain to expand DC-based vaccines to treat other types of solid tumor, such as research into the generation and phenotype of DCs with optimal capacity to induce full armored CTLs needs further attention, and the best suited route of administration. It is now well appreciated that the DC subset, its maturation state, and the microenvironment or type of pathogen a DC encounters in the periphery determine the type of immune response that is induced, ranging from a Th1 or Th2 response to immune tolerance.…”

Cancer Vaccines: Emphasis on Pediatric Cancers

“…Much less has been done in tumor antigen discovery using pediatric cancers. The few studies that were performed report that pediatric tumors, as would be expected, express many tumor antigens [8,[10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17] that could be candidate targets for immunotherapy or useful antigens in cancer vaccines. This new effort is welcome since using well-defined antigens is likely to provide useful information regarding the potential of eliciting an anti-tumor immune response in a pediatric cancer patient.…”