ABSTRACT
T umor immunotherapy describes the use of the immune system as a tool to eliminate cancer from the stricken patient. The theory contends that immunization against certain proteins either associated with or specific for the tumor will create a potent cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) immunity able to selectively kill the cancer cells. The anti tumor specificity of the T cells is retained in the ability of the CTLs T cell receptor (TCR) to recognize an eight to twelve amino acid peptide bound to the MHC class I molecules of the tumor cells. Epitope focused immunotherapy (EFIT) is an offshoot of tumor immunotherapy that strives to identify the sequence of protein derived antigenic peptides bound to the MHC molecules and then focus the immunization against these epitopes.
