Skip to main content
NCBI home page
The American Journal of Pathology logoLink to The American Journal of Pathology
. 1978 Nov;93(2):515–523.

Tumor immunity. An overview.

B V Siegel
PMCID: PMC2018372  PMID: 717538

Abstract

The frequent failure of the host's immunologic responses to impose restraints on tumor growth and dissemination has led to the realization that a number of factors, both immunologic and nonimmunologic, may act in concert to affect tumorigenesis. Immunologic mechanisms involved in tumor cell destruction are predicated principally on in vitro procedures, but the relevancy of these experimental observations to the actual events in vivo remains unclear and unresolved. The macrophage has been shown to be an integral segment of the immune response and to constitute an important element of the host defense against tumors. In this connection, interferon may be implicated in tumor cell destruction through macrophage activation to cytotoxicity. Studies of age-related susceptibility of New Zealand Black mice to three different carcinogens, ie, 3-methylcholanthrene, x-irradiation, and murine leukemia virus, have further emphasized the multifactorial determinants which may be operational in oncogenesis. Advances in our knowledge of tumor immunology have suggested a number of possible modalities for preventing tumors from escaping immunologic destruction and should continue to contribute to further elucidation of neoplastic mechanisms.

Full text

PDF
515

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Alexander P., Evans R. Endotoxin and double stranded RNA render macrophages cytotoxic. Nat New Biol. 1971 Jul 21;232(29):76–78. doi: 10.1038/newbio232076a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Baldwin R. W., Embleton M. J. Neoantigens on spontaneous and carcinogen-induced rat tumors defined by in vitro lymphocytotoxicity assays. Int J Cancer. 1974 Apr 15;13(4):433–443. doi: 10.1002/ijc.2910130402. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Baldwin R. W. Immunological aspects of chemical carcinogenesis. Adv Cancer Res. 1973;18:1–75. doi: 10.1016/s0065-230x(08)60750-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Benacerraf B., Katz D. H. The histocompatibility-linked immune response genes. Adv Cancer Res. 1975;21:121–173. doi: 10.1016/s0065-230x(08)60972-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Burnet F. M. The concept of immunological surveillance. Prog Exp Tumor Res. 1970;13:1–27. doi: 10.1159/000386035. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Cerottini J. C., Brunner K. T. Cell-mediated cytotoxicity, allograft rejection, and tumor immunity. Adv Immunol. 1974;18:67–132. doi: 10.1016/s0065-2776(08)60308-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Currie G. The role of circulating antigen as an inhibitor of tumour immunity in man. Br J Cancer Suppl. 1973 Aug;1:153–161. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Eccles S. A., Alexander P. Macrophage content of tumours in relation to metastatic spread and host immune reaction. Nature. 1974 Aug 23;250(5468):667–669. doi: 10.1038/250667a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Evans R., Alexander P. Role of macrophages in tumour immunity. I. Co-operation between macrophages and lymphoid cells in syngeneic tumour immunity. Immunology. 1972 Oct;23(4):615–626. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Haughton G., Whitmore A. C. Genetics, the immune response and oncogenesis. Transplant Rev. 1976;28:75–97. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-065x.1976.tb00194.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Hellström K. E., Hellström I. Lymphocyte-mediated cytotoxicity and blocking serum activity to tumor antigens. Adv Immunol. 1974;18:209–277. doi: 10.1016/s0065-2776(08)60311-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Hibbs J. B., Jr, Lambert L. H., Jr, Remington J. S. Possible role of macrophage mediated nonspecific cytotoxicity in tumour resistance. Nat New Biol. 1972 Jan 12;235(54):48–50. doi: 10.1038/newbio235048a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Huang K. Y., Donahoe R. M., Gordon F. B., Dressler H. R. Enhancement of phagocytosis by interferon-containing preparations. Infect Immun. 1971 Nov;4(5):581–588. doi: 10.1128/iai.4.5.581-588.1971. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Levy H. B., Law L. W., Rabson A. S. Inhibition of tumor growth by polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1969 Feb;62(2):357–361. doi: 10.1073/pnas.62.2.357. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Morton J. I., Siegel B. V., Moore R. D. Autoimmunity and tumor resistance. 3-Methylcholanthrene tumorigenesis in New Zealand Black mice. Am J Pathol. 1978 Nov;93(2):469–486. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Oettgen H. F. Immunotherapy of cancer. N Engl J Med. 1977 Sep 1;297(9):484–491. doi: 10.1056/NEJM197709012970907. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Old L. J., Boyse E. A. Current enigmas in cancer research. Harvey Lect. 1973;67:273–315. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Pilch Y. H., Veltman L. L., Kern D. H. Immune cytolysis of human tumor cells mediated by xenogeneic "immune" RNA: implications for immunotherapy. Surgery. 1974 Jul;76(1):23–34. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Prehn R. T. Immunostimulation of the lymphodependent phase of neoplastic growth. J Natl Cancer Inst. 1977 Oct;59(4):1043–1049. doi: 10.1093/jnci/59.4.1043. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Prehn R. T., Lappé M. A. An immunostimulation theory of tumor development. Transplant Rev. 1971;7:26–54. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-065x.1971.tb00462.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Rios A., Simmons R. L. Active specific immunotherapy of minimal residual tumor: excision plus neuraminidase-treated tumor cells. Int J Cancer. 1974 Jan 15;13(1):71–81. doi: 10.1002/ijc.2910130109. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Siegel B. V., Morton J. I. Depressed antibody response in the mouse infected with Rauscher leukaemia virus. Immunology. 1966 Jun;10(6):559–562. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Siegel B. V., Morton J. I. Immunologic stimuli in relation to leukemogenesis. 1. Potentiation of Rauscher viral leukemia by Freund's adjuvants. J Natl Cancer Inst. 1972 Jun;48(6):1681–1685. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Siegel B. V., Morton J. I. Immunologic stimuli in relation to leukemogenesis. II. Effect of phytohemagglutinin on Rauscher viral leukemogenesis. J Natl Cancer Inst. 1973 Feb;50(2):539–542. doi: 10.1093/jnci/50.2.539. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Siegel B. V., Morton J. I. Rauscher viral leukemogenesis in BALB/c mice treated with rabbit antimouse thymocyte serum. J Natl Cancer Inst. 1970 Mar;44(3):573–579. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Siegel B. V., Morton J. I. Tumor virus effects on immunocyte precursor cells. Hemopoietic stem cell behavior and leukemogenic susceptibility. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1976;276:442–454. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1976.tb41669.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Siegel B. V. The macrophage and cancer. J Reticuloendothel Soc. 1976 Sep;20(3):219–222. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Sjögren H. O., Hellström I., Bansal S. C., Hellström K. E. Suggestive evidence that the "blocking antibodies" of tumor-bearing individuals may be antigen--antibody complexes. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1971 Jun;68(6):1372–1375. doi: 10.1073/pnas.68.6.1372. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Southam C. M., Brunschwig A., Levin A. G., Dizon Q. S. Effect of leukocytes on transplantability of human cancer. Cancer. 1966 Nov;19(11):1743–1753. doi: 10.1002/1097-0142(196611)19:11<1743::aid-cncr2820191143>3.0.co;2-u. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Symoens J., Rosenthal M. Levamisole in the modulation of the immune response: the current experimental and clinical state. J Reticuloendothel Soc. 1977 Mar;21(3):175–221. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from The American Journal of Pathology are provided here courtesy of American Society for Investigative Pathology

RESOURCES