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Immune selective pressure and HLA class I antigen defects in malignant lesions

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Abstract

The revived cancer immune surveillance theory has emphasized the active role the immune system plays in eliminating tumor cells and in facilitating the emergence of their immunoresistant variants. MHC class I molecule abnormalities represent, at least in part, the molecular phenotype of these escape variants, given the crucial role of MHC class I molecules in eliciting tumor antigen-specific T cell responses, the high frequency of HLA class I antigen abnormalities in malignant lesions and their association with a poor clinical course of the disease. Here, we present evidence for this possibility and review the potential mechanisms by which T cell selective pressure participates in the generation of tumor cells with MHC class I molecule defects. Furthermore, we discuss the strategies to counteract tumor cell immune evasion.

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Acknowledgement

This work was supported by PHS grants R01 CA67108, R01 CA110249 and R01 CA113861 awarded by the National Cancer Institute, DHHS.

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  1. Department of Structural Biology, Hauptman-Woodward Institute, 700 Ellicott Street, Buffalo, NY, 14203, USA

    Chien-Chung Chang

  2. Department of Immunology, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Elm and Carlton Streets, Buffalo, NY, 14263, USA

    Soldano Ferrone

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Chang, CC., Ferrone, S. Immune selective pressure and HLA class I antigen defects in malignant lesions. Cancer Immunol Immunother 56, 227–236 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00262-006-0183-1

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