Cancer immunotherapy is a class of treatment that harnesses the body's own immune system to recognise and destroy malignant cells, distinct from approaches that target tumour cells directly through cytotoxic chemotherapy or radiation. Its rationale rests on the principle that tumours express altered or overexpressed…
Cancer immunotherapy is a class of treatment that harnesses the body's own immune system to recognise and destroy malignant cells, distinct from approaches that target tumour cells directly through cytotoxic chemotherapy or radiation. Its rationale rests on the principle that tumours express altered or overexpressed antigens that immune effectors can detect, and that cancers frequently evade immune control by suppressing or exhausting these responses. Major strategies include immune checkpoint inhibition, which releases inhibitory brakes on T cells; adoptive cell therapies such as chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells, in which patient lymphocytes are engineered to target tumour-associated antigens; therapeutic vaccines; cytokines; and monoclonal antibodies directed against surface markers. Supporting these are immunoassays and immunogenomic methods that characterise the tumour microenvironment, quantify immune infiltration, and guide patient selection and monitoring. Oncofoetal and tumour-associated antigens, including alpha-fetoprotein and its receptor, are studied both as biomarkers and as potential immune targets. Increasingly, immunotherapy is combined with surgery, conventional therapies, and emerging nanotechnology-based delivery platforms to enhance specificity and reduce toxicity. Active areas of investigation include overcoming resistance, managing immune-related adverse effects, extending efficacy across tumour types, and integrating molecular diagnostics so that treatment can be matched to the immunological and genomic profile of each malignancy.
7 peer-reviewed articles, ranked by relevance. Each links to its DOI.
The 7 articles above have been cited 6 times in the scholarly literature. Citation data via OpenAlex and Crossref, updated Jun 2026.
A sample of recent works citing this journal's research on Cancer Immunotherapy, linking to each citing work.