Modern Radiotherapy Concepts and the Impact of Radiation on Immune Activation.

ABSTRACT: Even though there is extensive research carried out in radiation oncology, most of the clinical studies focus on the effects of radiation on the local tumor tissue and deal with normal tissue side effects. The influence of dose fractionation and timing particularly with regard to immune activation is not satisfactorily investigated so far. This review, therefore, summarizes current knowledge on concepts of modern radiotherapy (RT) and evaluates the potential of RT for immune activation. Focus is set on radiation-induced forms of tumor cell death and consecutively the immunogenicity of the tumor cells. The so-called non-targeted, abscopal effects can contribute to anti-tumor responses in a specific and systemic manner and possess the ability to target relapsing tumor cells as well as metast

SUBMITTER: Deloch L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4913083 | biostudies-literature | 2016

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature