Year: 2006
Type: letter
Abstract: In their letter, Dr Ferretti and co-worker refer to the perception that autoimmunity and cancer are related and may represent ‘two sides of the same coin’. While this concept is not new to immunologists, it has surfaced in recent years largely due to accumulating evidence that more effective immunotherapy of cancer is associated with autoimmune sequelae, which may cause substantial pathology ( Attia et al, 2005 ; Korman et al, 2005 ). These recent observations coming from animal experiments and human clinical trials once again bring to our attention the crucial role of immune regulation in disease development and progression. While autoimmunity has always been linked to immune dysregulation, cancer development is viewed as progressive accumulation of genetic abnormalities in malignant cells, with the immune system allowing or even promoting its progression ( Balkwill et al, 2005 ; de Visser et al, 2006 ). Further, the tumours, like viruses, have evolved numerous ways of escape from immune surveillance, as recently reviewed, so that the host immune system is either disarmed or unable to recognise the tumour ( Whiteside, 2006 ).
Source: British Journal of Cancer
Author: T L Whiteside
Institution: UPMC Hillman Cancer Center
Language: English
Subfield: Oncology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $5,190
OpenAlex ID: W2074579800