Immunological and Oncological Center Cologne (IOZK), D-50674 Cologne, Germany.
Int J Oncol. 2019 Feb;54(2):407-419. doi: 10.3892/ijo.2018.4661. Epub 2018 Dec 10.
The side effects of systemic chemotherapy used to treat cancer are often severe. For decades, oncologists have focused on treating the tumor, which may result in damage to the tumor‑bearing host and its immune system. Recently, much attention has been paid to the immune system of patients and its activation via biological therapies. Biological therapies, including immunotherapy and oncolytic virus (OV) therapy, are often more physiological and well tolerated. The present review elucidated how these therapies work and why these therapies may be better tolerated: i) In contrast to chemotherapy, immunotherapies induce a memory function of the adaptive immunity system; ii) immunotherapies aim to specifically activate the immune system against cancer; side effects are low due to immune tolerance mechanisms, which maintain the integrity of the body in the presence of B and T lymphocytes with their antigen‑receptor specificities and; iii) the type I interferon response, which is evoked by OVs, is an ancient innate immune defense system. Biological and physiological therapies, which support the immune system, may therefore benefit cancer treatment. The present review focused on immunotherapy, with the aim of reducing side effects and increasing long‑lasting efficacy in cancer therapy.
用于治疗癌症的全身性化疗的副作用通常很严重。数十年来，肿瘤学家一直专注于治疗肿瘤，这可能导致肿瘤宿主及其免疫系统受损。最近，人们越来越关注患者的免疫系统及其通过生物疗法的激活。生物疗法，包括免疫疗法和溶瘤病毒（OV）疗法，通常更具生理性且耐受性更好。本综述阐明了这些疗法的作用机制以及为何这些疗法可能更耐受：i）与化疗相比，免疫疗法诱导适应性免疫系统的记忆功能；ii）免疫疗法旨在特异性激活免疫系统对抗癌症；由于免疫耐受机制，副作用较低，该机制在存在具有抗原受体特异性的 B 和 T 淋巴细胞时保持身体的完整性；iii）OV 引发的 I 型干扰素反应是一种古老的先天免疫防御系统。因此，支持免疫系统的生物和生理疗法可能有益于癌症治疗。本综述重点介绍了免疫疗法，旨在减少副作用并提高癌症治疗的长期疗效。
