Note to users. If you're seeing this message, it means that your browser cannot find this page's style/presentation instructions -- or possibly that you are using a browser that does not support current Web standards. Find out more about why this message is appearing, and what you can do to make your experience of our site the best it can be.

Site Tools

  • AAAS
  • Subscribe
  • Feedback

Site Search

Search Advanced

Sci. STKE, 13 July 2004
Vol. 2004, Issue 241, p. pe28
[DOI: 10.1126/stke.2412004pe28]

PERSPECTIVES

Using Signaling Pathways to Overcome Immune Tolerance to Tumors

Edgar G. Engleman1,2*, Joshua Brody1, and Luis Soares2

1Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
2Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.

Summary: The ability of tumors to evade the immune system is thought to result from the inability of T lymphocytes to recognize and respond to tumor antigens. This lack of T cell response may depend on a failure of dendritic cells to present antigen in the proper context so that T cells become tolerant to tumor antigens rather than primed to undergo an immune response. The inability of tumor-associated dendritic cells to effectively present antigen may in turn depend on inhibitory factors in the tumor milieu. Recent experiments suggest that the administration of toll-like receptor ligands stimulate dendritic cell activation and maturation and may thus help overcome T cell tolerance to tumor antigens. Whether or not such an approach is clinically feasible remains to be seen.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: edengleman{at}stanford.edu

Citation: E. G. Engleman, J. Brody, L. Soares, Using Signaling Pathways to Overcome Immune Tolerance to Tumors. Sci. STKE 2004, pe28 (2004).

Read the Full Text

ADVERTISEMENT
Click Me!

ADVERTISEMENT

To Advertise     Find Products

Science Signaling. ISSN 1937-9145 (pre-2008: Science's STKE. ISSN 1525-8882)