Cancer Immunotherapy

Question 1

When do NK cells attack?

Answer 1

when the target cell has no MHC-1 expression but has activating ligands

Question 2

immunologic adjuvant

Answer 2

a substance that helps and/or enhances the immune response; most work by activating APC’s thus enhancing the overall immune response to an antigen

Question 3

usually adjuvant works via _

Answer 3

stimulating expression of co-stimulatory molecules (B7/CD80 for CD28 binding)

Question 4

examples of adjuvants

Answer 4

BCG and DNCB

Question 5

BCG

Answer 5

induces an inflammatory response by stimulating macrophages; typically injected in/around tumor to stimulate localized immune response

Question 6

DNCP

Answer 6

serves as an allergen to induce a localized T-cell mediated immune response

Question 7

problem with adjuvants

Answer 7

lack tumor specificity

Question 8

BCG and DNCP can treat _

Answer 8

basal cell carcinoma

Question 9

gene therapy of tumor cells

Answer 9

transfection of tumor cells with missing co-stim molecules or with cytokines that induce inflammatory response

Question 10

problem with gene therapy

Answer 10

delivery of gene to all cells

Question 11

cytokine therapy

Answer 11

giving patients IL-2, TNF, interferons

Question 12

problem with cytokine therapy

Answer 12

consequences are not predictable and can be toxic

Question 13

IL-2 therapy

Answer 13

can stimulate the proliferation and anti-tumor activity of CTLs

Question 14

interferon therapy

Answer 14

upregulation of MHC expression and antigen presentation

Question 15

TNF therapy

Answer 15

can directly kill or slow proliferation of tumor cells

Question 16

monoclonal antibody therapies

Answer 16

immune-mediated killing, immunotoxins

Question 17

immune-mediated killing

Answer 17

activation of Fc receptors on surface of NK cells to induce ADCC

Question 18

immunotoxins

Answer 18

conjugation of a toxin to drug to antibody to kill tumor directly

Question 19

problem with monoclonal antibodies

Answer 19

finding tumor specific antigens to bind to

Question 20

immune checkpoint inhibitors

Answer 20

inhibition of PD-1, PDL-1, CTLA-4

Question 21

tumor infiltrating lymphocytes

Answer 21

excise tumor and culture, assay for tumor recognition, and then select those cells and expand for reinfusion

Question 22

problem with tumor infiltrating lymphocytes

Answer 22

these cells will die without the appropriate amount of IL-2 so you would have to give IL-2 along with the therapy, leading to adverse effects

Question 23

chimeric antigen receptors

Answer 23

antibody receptor with T cell cytoplasmic signaling (CD3)