Immunity against soft-tissue sarcomas.

Recent advances in basic medical sciences have led to a deeper understanding of the molecular characteristics of soft-tissue sarcomas. Likewise, novel technologies have led to a better appreciation of the relationship between an antigenic stimulus and the subsequent immune response against the antigen. In the past few years, the intersection of the understanding of the immune system and the knowledge of sarcoma biology has become apparent. As seen with other forms of cancer, there is a detectable autologous immune response against sarcomas. It is the hope of many investigators that the hints of a tumor-specific immune response will be enough to generate a signal that can be amplified and directed against the host sarcoma. The data regarding the initial evidence of immune responses against sarcomas are reviewed in the context of current or potential clinical studies.