The fight against cancer: is harnessing the immune system the ultimate strategy?

The fight against cancer: is harnessing the immune system the ultimate strategy? Br J Hosp Med (Lond). 2019 Oct 02;80(10):568-573 Authors: Watson E, Danby R Abstract Malignancy is a micro-evolutionary phenomenon shaped by selection pressures. Chief among these is the adaptive immune system, which recognizes malignant cells as a threat and attempts to eradicate them. The task is not easily achieved - if it were, cancer would not be a part of our human experience. The field of immunotherapy has rapidly expanded over the last two decades. It has produced some of the most exciting results of 21st century medicine, and has deepened clinicians' understanding of the relationship between malignancy and the immune response. This review discusses this relationship and analyses key tools in the immunotherapy arsenal. PMID: 31589501 [PubMed - in process]
Source: British Journal of Hospital Medicine - Category: Internal Medicine Authors: Tags: Br J Hosp Med (Lond) Source Type: research