Conference overview: Cancer Immunotherapy and Immunomonitoring (CITIM): moving forward.

The immune system is a critical element involved in the control of tumor development and progression. While professionals have learned how to manipulate the immune system to generate tumor-specific immune responses, cancer immunotherapy has not yet delivered substantial clinical benefits. It has become increasingly clear that tumor-induced abnormalities in the immune system not only hamper tumor immunosurveillance, but also limit the efficacy of cancer immunotherapy.

Cancer immunotherapy and immunomonitoring (CITIM): redefining cancer therapy.

The immune system is a critical element involved in the control of tumor development and progression. While we have learned how to manipulate the immune system to generate tumor-specific immune responses, cancer immunotherapy has not yet delivered substantial clinical benefits. It has become increasingly clear that tumor-induced abnormalities in the immune system not only hamper natural tumor immune surveillance, but also limit the effect of cancer immunotherapy.

Dinitrosyl-iron triggers apoptosis in Jurkat cells despite overexpression of Bcl-2.

Cells expressing the cytokine-inducible NO synthase are known to trigger apoptosis in neighboring cells. Paramagnetic dinitrosyl nonheme iron complexes (DNIC) were found in tumor tissue about 40 years ago; however, the role of these NO(+)-bearing species is not completely understood. In the human Jurkat leukemia cell line, the application of the model complex DNIC-thiosulfate (50-200 microM) induced apoptosis (defined by phosphatidylserine externalization) in a concentration- and time-dependent manner.

Influence of adjuvant hormone therapy and chemotherapy on the immune system analysed in the bone marrow of patients with breast cancer.

Purpose: Bone marrow is a special compartment for antitumor immunological memory in patients with breastcancer. Until now, the influence of adjuvant systemic therapy on the immune system has only been investigated in peripheral blood and not in bone marrow. In this study, we analyzed the effect of hormone therapy and chemotherapy on the immune activation status in bone marrow.