Anti Tumour Immunity and Immunotherapy for Cancer Flashcards
Background of cancer cells
State features of cancers cells that make it different from normal cells?
- Rapid uncontrolled growth
- Increased mobility
- Invade tissue
- Evade immune system
- Metastasize
Describe how immune system can cause cancer?
Imbalance in IS -> Immunodeficiency + IF conditions -> Cancer + tumour formation -> tumours infiltrated with lymphocytes have better prognosis
Can the body defend against cancer?
- Immunosurveillance:
- Immune system (lymphocytes) recognise cancerous and precancerous cells leading to their elimination before they can cause damage
- Demonstrated anti-tumour immune response (CD8+), production of immune memory + specificity of individual tumours (tumour antigens)
Immunoediting
Describe the process of tumourigenesis?
- Normal cells undergoing change via exposure to harmful factors
- Develop abnormal tumour antigens.
- Expresses Danger signals (ECM products)
- Tumour cells recognise DS + action via immunoediting
Describe the process behind immunoediting of the immune system (3)?
- Elimination
- Equilibrium
- Escape
Describe Eliimination
- Nks, NKTs, Macs + DCs + Tumour-specific CD4+ + CD8+ T cells : Eliminate Tu. cells -> INF gamma + chemokines cause tumour death
- Tumour specific DCs activate adaptive immunity in draining lymph nodes
Describe equilibrium
- incomplete Elimination
- Tumor cells lie dormant + modulate tumour antigen expression + stress signals
- IS eliminates susceptible tumour clones (-> prevent tumour expansion) -> tumour heterogeneity -> ‘darwinian selection’ -> allows for escape mutants to arise
Describe escape
- Immune system unable to control tumour growth
- Tumour progression
Immunomodulation
Describe the use of Bacillus calmette-Guerin (BCG) and how it acts as a immunemodulator?
- Vaccine for TB -> immunological adjuvant + stimulates innate IS (via TLRs)
- Used in bladder cancer- intravessicular injection -> Possible mechanism of action: Activation of DC + NK - bystander T cell activation.
State examples of cytokines which can be used as modulators?
- Main ones: Interferon, IL-2, GM-CSF
- Others: IL-1; IL-4; IL-7; IL-12; gIFN.
Describe the use of Interferon as an immunomodulator?
Type I interferon (alpha + beta)
- Produced by virally infected cells via Viral detection pathways
- Upregulates MHC Class 1, tumour antigens + adhesion molecules
- Activates T cells, B cells + DC
- Used in metastatic melanoma
- Nasty side-effects (‘flu-like symptoms)
Describe the use of Interleukin-2 as an immunomodulator?
- T cell growth factor
- Success in Renal Cell Carcinoma + melanoma
- Toxicity
- LAK cells, PBMC treated with IL-2 + re-infused into patients
Describe the use of GM-CSF as an immunomodulator?
- GM-CSF stimulates APC
- Trialled in melanoma (some success)
- Maybe better if used with IL-2
Antibody therapy
State the 3 general mechanisms in how antibodies kill tumours?
- Direct tumour cell killing
- immund-mediated tumour cell killing
- Vascular and stromal cell ablation
Blockade of growth factors
Describe the use of trastuzumab as an AB therapy drug against cancer?
- Herceptin
- Targets ERBB2 (human epidermal growth factor) on breast cancer cells
- Blocks ERBB2 signalling
- Allows targeting of ADCC