ABSTRACT
Over the past few years, there have been many studies elucidating mechanisms implicated in the low immunogenicity of tumor cells. This phenomenon is relatively common in most spontaneous tumors, despite the more than likely existence of numerous proteins that could function as potential targets for the immune system. Characterization of the mechanisms implicated in low immunogenicity could be important in cancer immunotherapy, since some recently developed strategies depend on the correct functioning of the entire antigenic processing machinery in order to enhance immunologic recognition. Some of these alterations in the capacity of antigenic presentation are irreversible when they affect structural genes but not when they affect regulatory processes, which may be sensitive to cytokine treatment. Knowledge of the exact mechanisms by which cancer can elude the immune system is important, because it can assist decision-making on changes in vaccination strategy or therapeutic approach.
