Radiation therapy and the innate immune response: Clinical implications for immunotherapy approaches.

ABSTRACT: Radiation therapy is an essential component of cancer care, contributing up to 40% of curative cancer treatment regimens. It creates DNA double-strand breaks causing cell death in highly replicating tumour cells. However, tumours can develop acquired resistance to therapy. The efficiency of radiation treatment has been increased by means of combining it with other approaches such as chemotherapy, molecule-targeted therapies and, in recent years, immunotherapy (IT). Cancer-cell apoptosis after radiation treatment causes an immunological reaction that contributes to eradicating the tumour via antigen presentation and subsequent T-cell activation. By contrast, radiotherapy also contributes to the formation of an immunosuppressive environment that hinders the efficacy of the therapy. Innate im

SUBMITTER: Gomez V 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7444780 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature