Dendritic Cell Immunotherapy, the Next Step in Cancer Treatment

Cancer immunotherapy has gained a lot of interest over the past few years due to the success of immune checkpoint inhibitors in treating cancer (1, 2). Immune checkpoint inhibitors, such as monoclonal antibodies against cytotoxic T-lymphocyte–associated antigen 4 (CTLA-4) and programmed death 1 (PD-1), have been shown to increase survival of patients with advanced cancers (1, 2). These inhibitors rely on preventing immunosuppression and enhancing anti-tumor responses. Under healthy conditions, over-activation of T cell immunity is controlled by immune checkpoints, which are molecules that suppress T cell function and thereby prevent uncontrolled T cell activation and autoimmunity. ....