Anti-tumor immunity

"Anti-tumor immunity" describes the sum of immune mechanisms—both innate and adaptive—that detect and destroy tumor cells. The process involves various immune cells, such as cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CD8+ T cells), NK cells, dendritic cells, and macrophages, as well as complex molecular pathways and immune checkpoint molecules (including PD-1, PD-L1, CTLA-4, LAG-3, and others)[1][2][3]. This term encompasses direct cellular cytotoxicity, tumor antigen recognition and presentation, cytokine production, and both positive and negative regulation by immune checkpoints. Drug development in cancer immunotherapy commonly focuses on these individual molecules and pathways, not the process of "anti-tumor immunity" itself[1][5][7]. Thus, while critical for cancer biology and treatment, "anti-tumor immunity" is not a canonical molecule or drug target but rather a biological phenomenon governing how the immune system interacts with cancer.

Other names

Anti-tumor immune responseAntitumor immunityTumor immune response