Cancer Immune Therapy Edited by G. Stuhler and P. Walden ...

10.5 Playing to Strengths
cell death of infected cells and cytokine-rich environments created by reactivity
against the antigens (Fig. 10.4A). There is also likely to be a large number of naive T
cells with TCR specificities that can bind epitopes from the immunogens when presented
by APCs (Fig. 10.3). The APCs will also have been activated by the inflammatory
milieu. This will provide high levels of co-stimulatory molecules in association
with which the antigenic epitopes will be presented to the T cells ± resulting in a vigorous
and potent clearative response (Fig. 10.4A).
In the case of tumor cell recognition (Fig. 10.4B), however, the repertoire of antigenic
targets is far less clearly defined and is much more subversive [8]. Until the tumor
develops a necrotic core, which occurs when its growth has outstripped its blood
supply, there is minimal cell death occurring and few tumor antigens are released,
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