CHEST Guidelines-Immunotherapy-for-Lung-Malignancies_2017

Immunotherapy-for-Lung-Malignancies_2017_chest

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Immunotherapy, specifically aimed at enhancing the body's immune response to lung cancer, is a promising advancement in treatment. The strategy focuses on leveraging the immune system's ability to target tumors through checkpoint blockade therapy and mutation-specific responses. Checkpoint blockade therapy functions by removing the inhibitory signals that cancer cells use to hinder immune activity. This approach has shown efficacy but benefits only about 25% of lung cancer patients, indicating a need for supplementary strategies.<br /><br />The advent of next-generation gene sequencing has facilitated the identification of unique mutations in lung tumors, opening avenues for tailored immune therapies. Lung cancers, characterized by high mutation rates, present logical targets for such therapy. By sequencing these mutations, researchers hope to understand how the immune system can recognize and combat tumors. This understanding is key to developing personalized vaccines that could potentially enhance the body's innate ability to fight cancer.<br /><br />Lung cancers are traditionally viewed as non-immunogenic; however, evidence suggests the contrary, portraying them as viable candidates for immunotherapeutic approaches. Identifying tumor mutations allows the creation of vaccines targeting these changes, encouraging the immune system to attack effectively.<br /><br />Central to this concept is the interaction between T-cells and tumor neoantigens. Neoantigens—mutated proteins not typically found in the body—are crucial for eliciting an immune response capable of combating cancer. Research has shown that T-cell presence, particularly cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs), correlates positively with patient survival, underscoring their role in effective immunotherapy.<br /><br />Ultimately, this field envisions personalized cancer vaccines targeting these tumor-specific mutations. Herein lies the future of lung cancer treatment: combinatory approaches incorporating checkpoint inhibitors, neoantigen vaccines, and traditional therapies such as chemotherapy, promising improved therapeutic outcomes and precision in treatment personalization.

Keywords

immunotherapy

lung cancer

checkpoint blockade

mutation-specific responses

next-generation sequencing

tumor neoantigens

personalized vaccines

cytotoxic T lymphocytes

immune system

cancer treatment