Table 2.

Effects of radiation therapy and chemotherapy on anti-tumor immunity

Component of immune response	Potential effects of RT	Potential effects of chemotherapy
Antigen presentation	Translocation of calreticulin to cell surface activates dendritic and other antigen presenting cells7,106 Enhanced MHC class I expression30 Release of danger-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) recruits and stimulates dendritic cells. 29	Increased antigen cross-presentation and dendritic cell activation107 Induction of immunogenic cell death44
T-cell response, trafficking	Results in systemic inflammatory repsonse39 Release of alarmin and binding to TLR4 activates antitumor immunity108 CXCL16 release attracts effector T cells109 Tumor vascular endothelial changes promote immune cell extravasation8,110	Release of alarmin and binding to TLR4 activates antitumor immunity108 Increased intratumoral T cell accumulation111,112
Target destruction	Tumor debulking	Tumor debulking
Generation of memory	Unknown	Increasing memory against tumor antigen47

MHC, major histocompatibility complex; TLR, toll-like receptor