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Spontaneous and therapy-induced immunity to pluripotency genes in humans: clinical implications, opportunities and challenges

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Cancer Immunology, Immunotherapy Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Recent studies have suggested that the core pathways regulating pluripotency in embryonal stem cells bear considerable overlap with oncogenesis. Here, we discuss recent insights into the capacity of the human immune system to target some of the key pluripotency-associated genes. Immunity to these genes is also induced in humans in the context of chemotherapy-induced cell death in patients with germ cell tumors. Immunologic targeting of pathways associated with stemness has implications for both immune regulation of tumor growth as well as emerging regenerative therapies with embryonal stem cells.

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Abbreviations

ES:

Embryonal stem cells

MGUS:

Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance

MM:

Multiple myeloma

DC:

Dendritic cells

CSC:

Cancer stem cells

GCT:

Germ cell tumor

TERT:

Telomerase reverse transcriptase

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Acknowledgments

MVD is supported by funds from the National Institutes of Health and Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. KMD is supported by funds from the National Institutes of Health, Dana Foundation and Doris Duke Foundation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Section of Hematology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA

    Madhav V. Dhodapkar

  2. Section of Immunobiology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA

    Madhav V. Dhodapkar

  3. Section of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA

    Kavita M. Dhodapkar

Authors
  1. Madhav V. Dhodapkar
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  2. Kavita M. Dhodapkar
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Madhav V. Dhodapkar or Kavita M. Dhodapkar.

Additional information

This paper is a Focussed Research Review based on a presentation given at the Eighth Annual Meeting of the Association for Cancer Immunotherapy (CIMT), held in Mainz, Germany, May 26–28, 2010.

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Dhodapkar, M.V., Dhodapkar, K.M. Spontaneous and therapy-induced immunity to pluripotency genes in humans: clinical implications, opportunities and challenges. Cancer Immunol Immunother 60, 413–418 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00262-010-0944-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00262-010-0944-8

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