The Invisible Arm of Immunity in Common Cancer Chemoprevention Agents

• Published in: Cancer prevention research (Philadelphia, Pa.) Pa.), 2013-08, Vol.6 (8), p.764-773
• Main Authors: MARZBANI, Edmond, INATSUKA, Carol, HAILING LU, DISIS, Mary L
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal - therapeutic use; Antineoplastic Agents - therapeutic use; Biological and medical sciences; Humans; Immunity, Cellular - drug effects; Medical sciences; Miscellaneous; Multiple tumors. Solid tumors. Tumors in childhood (general aspects); Neoplasms - immunology; Neoplasms - prevention & control; Prevention and actions; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Tumors
• ISSN: 1940-6207; 1940-6215; 1940-6215
• DOI: 10.1158/1940-6207.capr-13-0036

Immunoprevention refers to a strategy of preventing pathogen-associated and spontaneous cancers through the use of vaccines, antibodies, and immune modulators. Immune modulators function by enhancing the endogenous ability of the immune system to monitor for malignancy, so-called "immunosurveillance." There is growing evidence that many of the most promising cancer chemoprevention agents including aspirin, COX-2 inhibitors, aromatase inhibitors, and bisphosphonates mediate their effects, in part, by enhancing immunosurveillance and reversing the immune evasive mechanisms that premalignant lesions use. In the following review, we introduce critical components of the human immune surveillance system-dendritic cells, T cells, and immune suppressive cells-and discuss the emerging data suggesting that common chemoprevention agents may modulate the function of these immunologic cells.