Lecture on Immunology and Cancer Treatment

A series of flashcards covering key vocabulary related to immunology and cancer treatment discussed in the lecture.

Metronomic Chemotherapy

A type of chemotherapy that is administered at lower doses and more frequently than traditional chemotherapy.

Natural Killer Cells

A type of lymphocyte that can attack and kill tumor cells or virus-infected cells without prior sensitization to antigens.

MHC Class I and II

Major histocompatibility complex molecules that present peptide fragments to T cells and play a crucial role in the immune response.

Apoptosis

Programmed cell death that occurs in a controlled manner, avoiding inflammation.

Necrosis

An unregulated process of cell death that results in cellular rupture and inflammation.

Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes

Immune cells that have moved into the tumor environment and are often associated with better patient prognosis.

Burkitt's Lymphoma

A highly aggressive form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma that often affects children and can be hyperresponsive to aggressive chemotherapy.

CTLA-4

A protein that downregulates the immune response; targeted by cancer therapies to enhance T cell activation against tumors.

Immunosuppression

A reduction of the activation or efficacy of the immune system, which can increase cancer risk in transplant patients.

Dramatic Survival Improvement

Refers to significant increases in patient survival rates as seen with the introduction of new immunotherapies.