2018
February
It’s a cytokine! It’s an antibody! It’s a new cancer immunotherapy!
February 28, 2018
Interleukin 12 (IL-12) is a heterodimeric cytokine with potent antitumor efficacy based on its abilities to stimulate the proliferation and cytotoxicity of activated T and NK cells, induce IFNγ and other cytotoxic enzymes and cytokines, and promote differentiation into memory phenotypes. Its actual efficacy as an immunotherapy, however, is limited by its short...
Unleashing innate and adaptive immunity with in situ vaccination
February 21, 2018
In a continuing effort to cure cancer, Sagiv-Barfi et al. sought to develop a new, “practical” immunotherapy by using the in situ tumor in three ways: 1) as a source of antigen, 2) as a source of immunoreactive cells, and 3) as an injection site for immune modulators, as described in their study...
LXR agonism promotes macroscopic change in the tumor microenvironment
February 14, 2018
High activity of immunosuppressive cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME) is frequently found in patients who are nonresponders to different forms of immunotherapy, treatments which can demonstrate long-term benefits in the subset of patients who do respond. In a recent paper published in Cell, Tavazoie et al. aimed to elucidate the mechanism by...
Local chemo and CTLA-4 blockade: Turning a limb into a cancer vaccine
February 7, 2018
Immune checkpoint blockade is a powerful weapon in the fight against cancer, but for most patients, checkpoint blockade alone is not enough, and standards of care like chemotherapy are still the norm. In a recent paper published in Cancer Immunology Research, Ariyan et al. sought to enhance the efficacy of CTLA-4 checkpoint blockade...
