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The opposing roles of CD 4 + T cells in anti‐tumour immunity
Author(s) -
Ahrends Tomasz,
Borst Jannie
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.297
H-Index - 133
eISSN - 1365-2567
pISSN - 0019-2805
DOI - 10.1111/imm.12941
Subject(s) - cytotoxic t cell , ctl* , immunotherapy , cancer immunotherapy , immunology , immunity , cd8 , biology , antigen , cancer , immune system , cancer research , acquired immune system , in vitro , genetics
Summary Cancer immunotherapy focuses mainly on anti‐tumour activity of CD 8 + cytotoxic T lymphocytes ( CTL s). CTL s can directly kill all tumour cell types, provided they carry recognizable antigens. However, CD 4 + T cells also play important roles in anti‐tumour immunity. CD 4 + T cells can either suppress or promote the anti‐tumour CTL response, either in secondary lymphoid organs or in the tumour. In this review, we highlight opposing mechanisms of conventional and regulatory T cells at both sites. We outline how current cancer immunotherapy strategies affect both subsets and how selective modulation of each subset is important to maximize the clinical response of cancer patients.