| Autor: |
Witz, Isaac, Yefenof, Eitan, Engelmann, Katja, Finn, Olivera J. |
| Zdroj: |
Innate & Adaptive Immunity in the Tumor Microenvironment; 2008, p91-119, 29p |
| Abstrakt: |
The tumor microenvironment regulates tumor growth by providing cancer cells with extracellular matrix molecules and stromal cells, specific growth factors and cytokines, and a supply of nutrients through increased angiogenesis. In addition, it supports tumor growth by actively suppressing immune surveillance. Tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) play a pivotal role in the ability of the immune system to detect and possibly eradicate nascent tumors. Some TAAs, however, appear also to influence the tumor microenvironment through increased or aberrant cell signaling and modifications of cell-cell or cell-stroma interactions. Many TAAs are self-molecules that have become antigenic due to overexpression or aberrant expression on tumor cells compared to their normal counterparts, and therefore are able to elicit a host immune response. The recently proposed cancer stem cell theory of tumor development begs the question of whether some of these same TAAs are expressed on stem cells and what is their role in shaping their microenvironment. This chapter will focus on what it known about tumor antigens in the microenvironment of mature tumors. We will also discuss tumor antigens and other molecules expressed on stem cells since by influencing the microenvironment at the earliest stages of tumor development these molecules could be deciding factors in tumor growth and metastasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Databáze: |
Supplemental Index |
| Externí odkaz: |
|
