Cancer Immunotherapy Lecture Notes

These flashcards cover key vocabulary and concepts related to cancer immunotherapy based on the lecture notes.

Cancer Immunotherapy

A treatment aimed at enhancing the body's immune response against cancer cells.

Checkpoint Inhibitors

Therapeutic agents that block proteins that inhibit immune responses, allowing T cells to attack cancer cells.

CAR-T Cells

Chimeric Antigen Receptor T cells; genetically engineered T cells to target and kill cancer cells.

Immune Evasion

The strategy used by tumors to avoid detection and destruction by the immune system.

Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes

Immune cells that have migrated into a tumor; their presence is often associated with a better prognosis.

Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC)

Molecules on cell surfaces that present peptide fragments to T cells, crucial for immune recognition.

Cytotoxic T Cells (CD8+ T Cells)

A type of immune cell that can directly kill infected or cancerous cells.

Immune Surveillance Theory

The concept that the immune system regularly monitors and eradicates newly arising tumors.

Granzyme B and Perforin

Proteins released by cytotoxic T cells that induce death in target cells.

Cytokine Release Syndrome (CRS)

A systemic inflammatory response that may occur after CAR-T cell therapy, characterized by high levels of inflammatory cytokines.

Immune Checkpoints\n\n

Regulatory pathways in the immune system that restrict immune responses to prevent autoimmune diseases.

Oncolytic Virus Therapy\n\n

A therapeutic approach utilizing genetically modified viruses that selectively infect and kill cancer cells.

Monoclonal Antibodies\n\n

Laboratory-made molecules that mimic the immune system's ability to fight off harmful pathogens such as cancer cells.

Tumor Microenvironment\n\n

The environment surrounding a tumor, including non-cancerous cells, blood vessels, and signaling molecules, which can affect tumor growth and response to therapy.

Adaptive Immune Response\n\n

The immune response that develops over time, involving specific recognition of pathogens and the generation of memory cells.