Figure 1.

Summary of major events involved in cancer immunosurveillance and the described effects of epigenetic drugs. Cancer-specific antigens expressed in the tumor cell are uptaken and processed by dendritic cells. Mature dendritic cells migrate to the lymph node (not depicted) where they present antigens to T-cells mediating their activation. Activated T cells migrate to the tumor and recognize cancer cells that present cancer-associated antigens. Activated T cells carry out effective functions to eliminate cancer cells, among them secretion of IFNγ that will promote apoptotic effects in cancer cells. Sustained exposure to IFNγ leads the expression of PD-L1 in cancer cells and T cell exhaustion. Blue arrows indicate critical steps activated or blocked by epigenetic drugs.