Tumor immune escape

Cancer cells, regrettably, have devised numerous strategies to avoid being detected and attacked by immune cells. However, recent progress in immunotherapy seeks to combat these evasive maneuvers. This is achieved by eliminating the inhibitory signals on the immune system using targeted drugs known as immune checkpoint inhibitors.
Heymach et al. 2018

Cancer cells evade immunity by directly inhibiting CD8+ cytotoxic T cells (CD8+ T cells) using immune checkpoint pathways such as CD279 (Programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) and CD152 (Cytotoxic T-Lymphocyte-Associated Protein 4 (CTLA-4))
Yamamoto et al. 2008 Blood 111(6): 3220-4
Montanari et al. 2015 Clin Adv Hematol Oncol. 13(8): 518-24
Upadhyay et al. 2015 Cancers 7: 736-62
Chen & Mellman 2017 Nature 541(7637): 321-330

Ligands for CD279 (Programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1), CD274 (Programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1)), and CD273 (Programmed cell death 1 ligand 2 (PD-L2)) are upregulated in both solid tumors and leukemia / lymphoma
Topalian et al. 2012 N Engl J Med. 366(26): 2443–54
Chen & Mellman 2013 Immunity 39: 1–10
Montanari et al. 2015 Clin Adv Hematol Oncol. 13(8): 518-24

see also:
Sialic acids