Top 10 Challenges in Cancer Immunotherapy

• Published in: Immunity (Cambridge, Mass.) Vol. 52; no. 1; pp. 17 - 35
• Main Authors: Hegde, Priti S., Chen, Daniel S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 14.01.2020; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: adaptive immune resistance; Antigens; Biology; biomarkers; bispecific antibodies; Cancer; cancer immune phenotypes; Cancer immunotherapy; CAR T; cellular therapy; Clinical trials; Collaboration; Cytotoxicity; Drug dosages; Humans; Immune system; immuno-oncology; Immunology; Immunotherapy; Immunotherapy - methods; intrinsic immune resistance; Models, Biological; Mutation; Neoplasms - genetics; Neoplasms - immunology; Neoplasms - therapy; Patients; primary immune escape; secondary immune escape; synthetic immunity; T cell engagers; Tumor Microenvironment - immunology; tumor mutational burden; Tumors; intrinsic immune resistance; biomarkers; CAR T; adaptive immune resistance; cellular therapy; primary immune escape; cancer immune phenotypes; tumor mutational burden; secondary immune escape; cancer immunotherapy; synthetic immunity; T cell engagers; immuno-oncology; bispecific antibodies
• ISSN: 1074-7613; 1097-4180; 1097-4180
• DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2019.12.011

Cancer immunotherapy is a validated and critically important approach for treating patients with cancer. Given the vast research and clinical investigation efforts dedicated to advancing both endogenous and synthetic immunotherapy approaches, there is a need to focus on crucial questions and define roadblocks to the basic understanding and clinical progress. Here, we define ten key challenges facing cancer immunotherapy, which range from lack of confidence in translating pre-clinical findings to identifying optimal combinations of immune-based therapies for any given patient. Addressing these challenges will require the combined efforts of basic researchers and clinicians, and the focusing of resources to accelerate understanding of the complex interactions between cancer and the immune system and the development of improved treatment options for patients with cancer. In recent years, cancer immunotherapy has become a pillar in the treatment of cancer. Hegde and Chen discuss the top ten challenges facing this field, including the opportunity to optimize both synthetic and endogenous immune approaches and to target different immune suppressive mechanisms specific for each patient with cancer.