Interferon-Gamma at the Crossroads of Tumor Immune Surveillance or Evasion

• Type: Another Publication in an International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2018

Authors

Castro, F (Author) Other; Cardoso, AP (Author) Other; Goncalves, RM (Author) ICBAS; Serre, K (Author) Other; Oliveira, MJ (Author) FMUP

Journal

Title: Frontiers In Immunology

Vol. 9

ISSN: 1664-3224

Publisher: Frontiers Media

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 744 Citations

Scopus - 768 Citations

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-00N-YPA

DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.00847

Abstract (EN): Interferon- gamma (IFN-gamma) is a pleiotropic molecule with associated antiproliferative, pro-apoptotic and antitumor mechanisms. This effector cytokine, often considered as a major effector of immunity, has been used in the treatment of several diseases, despite its adverse effects. Although broad evidence implicating IFN-gamma in tumor immune surveillance, IFN-gamma-based therapies undergoing clinical trials have been of limited success. In fact, recent reports suggested that it may also play a protumorigenic role, namely, through IFN-gamma signaling insensitivity, downregulation of major histocompatibility complexes, and upregulation of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase and of checkpoint inhibitors, as programmed cell-death ligand 1. However, the IFN-gamma-mediated responses are still positively associated with patient's survival in several cancers. Consequently, major research efforts are required to understand the immune contexture in which IFN-gamma induces its intricate and highly regulated effects in the tumor microenvironment. This review discusses the current knowledge on the pro- and antitumorigenic effects of IFN-gamma as part of the complex immune response to cancer, highlighting the relevance to identify IFN-gamma responsive patients for the improvement of therapies that exploit associated signaling pathways.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 19