CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR ANALYSES OF MAJOR HISTOCOMPATIBILITY COMPLEX (MHC) RESTRICTED AND NON-MHC-RESTRICTED EFFECTOR-CELLS RECOGNIZING RENAL-CELL CARCINOMAS - PROBLEMS AND PERSPECTIVES FOR IMMUNOTHERAPY

Renal cell carcinomas belong to the small group of tumors that are abl e to induce antitumor responses. Here we describe two general types of cytotoxic effector lymphocytes that can eliminate autologous tumor ce lls and discuss the role that major histocompatibility complex encoded molecules play in governing their specificities. Improved understandi ng of the cellular and molecular basis of renal cell carcinoma recogni tion opens new avenues of research with the potential to develop bette r immunotherapies for patients with metastatic disease.