Translational Immunology in Oncology: From Mechanisms to Clinical Outcomes

Abstract

Introduction: Fundamental knowledge from tumor immunology, including tumor antigenicity, mechanisms of immune evasion, and the tumor microenvironment, is informing the clinical development of immunotherapy strategies.
Methodology: Databases searched include Scopus, PubMed, Embase, Web of Science.
Foundations of Tumor Immunology: Tumors develop via mutagenesis, and mutations may lead to alterations in coding and non-coding sequences, eventually producing neoantigens that can trigger T-cell recognition.
Mechanisms Linking Immunology to Therapeutic Outcomes: Immunoediting, a process viewed as an adaptation driven equally by the immune system and tumor, leads to tumor heterogeneity. The establishment of preclinical models that adequately recapitulate the interplay between the immune system, the tumor, and the therapeutic options employed.
Translational Approaches in Oncology: Translational approaches encompass biomarker discovery, patient stratification, preclinical modelling, and clinical trial design. Successful translation of preclinical observations into routinely used clinical applications depends on data demonstrating a clear association between the putative biomarker and the desired patient benefit.
Clinical Outcomes of Immuno-Oncology Therapies: Immuno-oncology therapy has created a paradigm shift in the treatment of some advanced-stage cancers and, in certain situations, has become the standard of care. Checkpoint blockade agents can produce long-lasting responses in a subset of patients.
Challenges and Future Directions: Immune evasion appears as an important mechanism for resisting immune-mediated therapies.
Conclusion: Translational immunology seeks to integrate mechanistic knowledge of antitumor immunity with clinical outcomes following therapeutic intervention in cancer patients. Biomedical research is often divided into basic vs applied domains, but translational work crosses freely between both. Translational immunology aims to pave the way for basic to bidirectional exploration around antitumor immunity and therapy.