Adoptive immunotherapy for cancer: harnessing the T cell response

This article discusses how T cells promote antitumour immunity in patients with cancer. In certain cancer types, T cell populations that are isolated from tumours and expandedin vitrocan promote cancer remission when re-infused into patients. The authors explain the pros and cons of this type of immunotherapy. Immunotherapy based on the adoptive transfer of naturally occurring or gene-engineered T cells can mediate tumour regression in patients with metastatic cancer. Here, we discuss progress in the use of adoptively transferred T cells, focusing on how they can mediate tumour cell eradication. Recent advances include more accurate targeting of antigens expressed by tumours and the associated vasculature, and the successful use of gene engineering to re-target T cells before their transfer into the patient. We also describe how new research has helped to identify the particular T cell subsets that can most effectively promote tumour eradication.