T-cell dependent immunoselection

In a recent issue of Nature, two groups describe the process of cancer immunoediting whereby an individual is protected from cancer though the elimination and immunogenic modification of cancer cells. Matsushita and colleagues use whole-exon sequencing of chemically induced mouse sarcomas to obtain evidence for T cell-mediated immunoselection. The authors characterized mutations in immunodeficient mice and thereby elegantly identified a tumor rejection antigen. Further it was demonstrated that T cell-dependent immunoselection is a crucial mechanism underlying the outgrowth of tumor cells. This exciting study was published alongside a study from DuPage et al. demonstrating that immunosurveillance and immunoediting can occur in an oncogene-driven endogenous tumor model provided that the tumors carry strong neo-antigens that are not present in the host. DuPage and colleagues showed that loss of tumor antigen expression or presentation on Class I MHC molecules was necessary and T-cell dependent immunoselection