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New targets for the immunotherapy of colon cancer—does reactive disease hold the answer?

  • Viktoriya Boncheva
    ,
  • S.A. Bonney
    ,
  • Suzanne E. Brooks
    ,
  • Mark Tangney
    ,
  • Gerald C. O'Sullivan
    ,
  • A. Mirnezami
  • University of Southampton
    ,
  • University College Cork
    ,
  • University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust
    ,
  • King's College London
Research Output: Contribution to journal Article Peer-review

Sustainable Development Goals

  • SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being
    SDG 3 Good Health and Well

Abstract

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers in both men and women, posing a serious demographic and economic burden worldwide. In the United Kingdom, CRC affects 1 in every 20 people and it is often detected once well established and after it has spread beyond the bowel (Stage IIA-C and Stage IIIA-C). A diagnosis at such advanced stages is associated with poor treatment response and survival. However, studies have identified two sub-groups of post-treatment CRC patients--those with good outcome (reactive disease) and those with poor outcome (non-reactive disease). We aim to review the state-of-the-art for CRC with respect to the expression of cancer-testis antigens (CTAs) and their identification, evaluation and correlation with disease progression, treatment response and survival. We will also discuss the relationship between CTA expression and regulatory T-cell (Treg) activity to tumorigenesis and tumor immune evasion in CRC and how this could account for the clinical presentation of CRC. Understanding the molecular basis of reactive CRC may help us identify more potent novel immunotherapeutic targets to aid the effective treatment of this disease. In this review, based on our presentation at the 2012 International Society for the Cell and Gene Therapy of Cancer annual meeting, we will summarize some of the most current advances in CTA and CRC research and their influence on the development of novel immunotherapeutic approaches for this common and at times difficult to treat disease.

Publication Information

Output type

Research Output: Contribution to journal Article Peer-review

Original language

English

Journal (Volume, Issue Number)

Cancer Gene Therapy

Publication milestones

  • Published - 15/03/2013

Publication status

Published - 15/03/2013

ISSN

0929-1903

External Publication IDs

  • handle.net: 10547/578857
  • Scopus: 84875230320

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