Immune Surveillance

Definition

Immune surveillance is the process by which the immune system continuously monitors the body for the presence of abnormal or foreign cells, such as cancer cells or pathogens, and initiates an immune response to eliminate them. It is a critical component of the body's defense against disease and plays a crucial role in the context of cancer immunobiology and immunotherapy.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Immune surveillance is essential for the detection and elimination of cancer cells before they can form a clinically relevant tumor.
2. The immune system uses a variety of immune cells, including T cells, natural killer (NK) cells, and antigen-presenting cells, to continuously patrol the body and identify abnormal cells.
3. Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) are a key component of the immune response against cancer, as they can recognize and target specific tumor antigens.
4. Checkpoint inhibitors, such as anti-PD-1 and anti-CTLA-4 antibodies, have revolutionized cancer immunotherapy by enhancing the ability of the immune system to recognize and attack cancer cells.
5. The process of immunoediting, where the immune system selects for less immunogenic tumor cells, can lead to the development of cancer cells that are able to evade immune surveillance.

Review Questions

• Explain the role of immune surveillance in the context of cancer immunobiology.
  • Immune surveillance is a critical component of the body's defense against cancer. The immune system continuously monitors the body for the presence of abnormal or foreign cells, such as cancer cells, and initiates an immune response to eliminate them. This process helps to detect and destroy cancer cells before they can form a clinically relevant tumor. Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) play a key role in this process, as they can recognize and target specific tumor antigens. However, the process of immunoediting can lead to the selection of less immunogenic cancer cells that are able to evade immune surveillance, highlighting the importance of understanding and harnessing the immune system for effective cancer immunotherapy.
• Describe how checkpoint inhibitors can enhance immune surveillance in the context of cancer immunotherapy.
  • Checkpoint inhibitors, such as anti-PD-1 and anti-CTLA-4 antibodies, have revolutionized cancer immunotherapy by enhancing the ability of the immune system to recognize and attack cancer cells. These drugs work by blocking the interaction between checkpoint proteins on immune cells and their ligands on tumor cells, which normally act as a brake on the immune response. By releasing this brake, checkpoint inhibitors allow the immune system, including tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), to more effectively recognize and eliminate cancer cells. This enhancement of immune surveillance is a key mechanism by which checkpoint inhibitors can lead to improved clinical outcomes for cancer patients.
• Analyze the relationship between immune surveillance and the process of immunoediting in the context of cancer development and progression.
  • The process of immune surveillance and the process of immunoediting are closely intertwined in the context of cancer development and progression. Immune surveillance plays a critical role in detecting and eliminating cancer cells before they can form a clinically relevant tumor. However, the immune system's selective pressure can also lead to the process of immunoediting, where the immune system selects for less immunogenic tumor cells that are able to evade immune surveillance. This can result in the development of cancer cells that are more resistant to the immune system's defenses. Understanding this dynamic relationship between immune surveillance and immunoediting is crucial for the development of effective cancer immunotherapies, as strategies that can overcome the immune evasion mechanisms of cancer cells and enhance the immune system's ability to recognize and eliminate them are essential for improving clinical outcomes.

Related terms

Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes (TILs): T cells and other immune cells that have infiltrated a tumor and are involved in the immune response against the cancer.

Checkpoint Inhibitors:

Drugs that block the interaction between checkpoint proteins on immune cells and their ligands on tumor cells, thereby enhancing the immune system's ability to recognize and attack cancer cells.

Immunoediting: The process by which the immune system shapes the immunogenicity of a tumor, leading to the selection of less immunogenic cancer cells that can evade immune surveillance.