IMMUNOTHERAPY OF CANCER - CURRENT DEVELOP MENTS AND FUTURE STRATEGIES

The use of the immune system for the treatment of cancer is still deba ted. Recent advances in antigen presentation and recognition mechanism s, and the characterization of tumor-specific antigens generating a T cell response are crucial steps for the stimulation of research in thi s direction. These advances should allow the development of selective immunotherapy, either passive (infusion of lymphocytes with specific r ecognition of autologous tumor) or active (vaccination), and the evalu ation of this new approach in cancer treatment strategies.