International Trends in Immunity

Although a relationship between inflammation and some cancers is well-established, the complex role of the complement system in cancer development remains incompletely understood. The studies that have investigated this relationship have primarily reported that the diverse components of the complement system support tumor growth. However, some studies have demonstrated that components of the complement system support adaptive T cell-mediated responses in other diseases and could therefore potentially be beneficial in promoting tumor regression through supporting anti-tumor immune responses. In this review, the most recent evidence illustrating the role of the complement system in adaptive immunity and cancer will be discussed, and some questions will be raised as to whether some complement components can enhance the efficacy of cancer immunotherapy due to their influence on adaptive immunity.