PapersFlow Research Brief
Immunotherapy and Immune Responses
Research Guide
What is Immunotherapy and Immune Responses?
Immunotherapy and Immune Responses is a research field centered on the immunobiology of dendritic cells, their roles in antigen presentation, modulation of immunity, and applications in cancer immunotherapy and vaccine development.
This field encompasses 135,447 works on dendritic cell subsets, tumor antigen presentation, immune tolerance, and vaccine adjuvants to enhance T cell immunity and cross-presentation. Dendritic cells capture antigens and induce primary immune responses, as detailed in 'Dendritic cells and the control of immunity' (Banchereau and Steinman, 1998) with 14,238 citations. Key advances include PD-1/PD-L1 checkpoint blockade showing antitumor activity in breast cancer, per 'PD-1 and PD-L1 Immune Checkpoint Blockade to Treat Breast Cancer' (Hartkopf et al., 2016) with 30,893 citations.
Topic Hierarchy
Research Sub-Topics
Dendritic Cell Subsets
Researchers characterize distinct DC subsets (cDC1, cDC2, pDCs) by ontogeny, transcription factors, and antigen presentation specialization in tissues. Studies use single-cell RNA-seq to define functional heterogeneity and developmental paths.
Antigen Cross-Presentation
This sub-topic examines mechanisms by which DCs process exogenous antigens for MHC class I presentation to CD8 T cells, involving endosomal escape and TAP transport. Researchers study cytosolic routing and its enhancement by adjuvants.
Cancer Immunotherapy Dendritic Cells
Researchers investigate DC-based therapies including vaccines, checkpoint combinations, and in situ reprogramming in tumor microenvironments. Clinical trials test DC maturation, migration, and T cell priming in solid tumors.
Immune Tolerance Dendritic Cells
This area explores tolerogenic DCs inducing regulatory T cells via PD-L1, IDO, and cytokine signals to prevent autoimmunity and transplant rejection. Researchers study maturation states and environmental cues promoting tolerance.
Vaccine Adjuvants Dendritic Cells
Researchers develop adjuvants targeting DC receptors (TLRs, C-type lectins) to enhance antigen uptake, costimulation, and cytokine production for superior T/B cell responses. This includes nanoparticle and STING agonist delivery.
Why It Matters
Immunotherapy leverages immune responses to treat cancers, with ipilimumab improving survival in metastatic melanoma patients compared to gp100 vaccine alone, as shown in 'Improved Survival with Ipilimumab in Patients with Metastatic Melanoma' (Hodi et al., 2010) involving 676 patients. Anti-PD-L1 antibodies achieved objective response rates of 6-17% and disease stabilization of 12-41% at 24 weeks in advanced cancers including non-small-cell lung cancer and melanoma, reported in 'Safety and Activity of Anti–PD-L1 Antibody in Patients with Advanced Cancer' (Brahmer et al., 2012). Dendritic cells drive these responses by presenting tumor antigens to T cells, supporting therapeutic vaccines, while recent funding like $11.5 million to UofL for new cancer immunotherapies and $3 million to University of Houston for a Cancer Immunotherapy Biomarker Core advances clinical translation.
Reading Guide
Where to Start
'Dendritic cells and the control of immunity' (Banchereau and Steinman, 1998) first, as it provides the foundational overview of dendritic cell roles in antigen presentation and immunity control, essential for understanding immunotherapy basics.
Key Papers Explained
'Dendritic cells and the control of immunity' (Banchereau and Steinman, 1998) establishes dendritic cell functions, extended by 'Immunobiology of Dendritic Cells' (Banchereau et al., 2000) on their antigen-presenting capabilities. 'PD-1 and PD-L1 Immune Checkpoint Blockade to Treat Breast Cancer' (Hartkopf et al., 2016) applies these to checkpoint inhibition, while 'Improved Survival with Ipilimumab in Patients with Metastatic Melanoma' (Hodi et al., 2010) demonstrates clinical T cell enhancement. 'Safety and Activity of Anti–PD-L1 Antibody in Patients with Advanced Cancer' (Brahmer et al., 2012) builds on this with response data across cancers; 'Oncology Meets Immunology: The Cancer-Immunity Cycle' (Chen and Mellman, 2013) integrates the cycle involving dendritic cells.
Paper Timeline
Most-cited paper highlighted in red. Papers ordered chronologically.
Advanced Directions
Recent preprints highlight lung cancer immunotherapy progress, checkpoint blockade combinations, and resistance mechanisms as in 'Lung cancer immunotherapy in 2025: where we stand and what comes next?'. News covers trispecific antibodies augmenting T cell and myeloid responses, Mount Sinai's antibody-producing cell studies, and funding like $11.5M to UofL for new immunotherapies.
Papers at a Glance
| # | Paper | Year | Venue | Citations | Open Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | PD-1 and PD-L1 Immune Checkpoint Blockade to Treat Breast Cancer | 2016 | Breast Care | 30.9K | ✓ |
| 2 | Improved Survival with Ipilimumab in Patients with Metastatic ... | 2010 | New England Journal of... | 14.9K | ✓ |
| 3 | Dendritic cells and the control of immunity | 1998 | Nature | 14.2K | ✕ |
| 4 | Prospective identification of tumorigenic breast cancer cells | 2003 | Proceedings of the Nat... | 10.3K | ✓ |
| 5 | Safety and Activity of Anti–PD-L1 Antibody in Patients with Ad... | 2012 | New England Journal of... | 7.9K | ✓ |
| 6 | Foxp3 programs the development and function of CD4+CD25+ regul... | 2003 | Nature Immunology | 7.6K | ✕ |
| 7 | Transposition of native chromatin for fast and sensitive epige... | 2013 | Nature Methods | 6.7K | ✓ |
| 8 | Oncology Meets Immunology: The Cancer-Immunity Cycle | 2013 | Immunity | 6.7K | ✓ |
| 9 | Interleukin-10 and the Interleukin-10 Receptor | 2001 | Annual Review of Immun... | 6.6K | ✕ |
| 10 | Immunobiology of Dendritic Cells | 2000 | Annual Review of Immun... | 6.6K | ✕ |
In the News
Mount Sinai Study Finds Antibody-Producing Immune Cells ...
Additionalcollaborators included researchers from the National Cancer Center in Japan. Funding was provided primarily through grants from the National Cancer Institute, with supplemental seed fundi...
UofL, UofL Health receive $11.5M from NIH to develop new ...
cancer.
UofL and UofL Health receive $11.5 million to develop new ...
# UofL and UofL Health receive $11.5 million to develop new cancer immunotherapies October 22, 2025 Man and woman at computer workstation
A trispecific antibody engaging T cells with tumour and myeloid cells augments antitumour immunity
Immunologically unresponsive tumours often resist immune checkpoint inhibitors due to the low abundance of tumour-specific T cells and an immunosuppressive microenvironment, despite pronounced infi...
University of Houston Awarded $3M to Launch Cancer ...
As part of a $93 million grant package, the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, known for funding groundbreaking projects, has awarded the University of Houston $3 million to set up ...
Code & Tools
Run IRnet through command line: usage: predict.py [-h] -input INPUTFILE -output OUTPUTDIR -treatment DRUG IRnet: Immunotherapy response predictio...
TCR-Seq (T-cell receptor sequencing) has been used extensively to characterize the immune response to cancer. However, most analyses of this data h...
**Precise**is a Python-based computational framework for analyzing single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data to predict immune checkpoint inhibit...
The goal of `easier` is to contextualize the prediction of anti-tumor immune responses from RNA-seq data using EaSIeR.
## About 🧬immunarch [R package] –Multi-Modal Immune Repertoire Analytics for Immunotherapy and Vaccine Design immunomind.github.io/docs/ ### Topics
Recent Preprints
Cancer immunotherapy - Latest research and news
Cancer immunotherapy is a therapy used to treat cancer patients that involves or uses components of the immune system. Some cancer immunotherapies consist of antibodies that bind to, and inhibit th...
Cancer Immunology Research - AACR Journals
Cancer Immunology Research publishes outstanding original articles reporting major advances in cancer immunology that span the discipline from basic investigations in host-tumor interactions to dev...
The broad spectrum of cancer and immunotherapy: achievements and limitations
Cancer immunotherapy has revolutionized cancer treatment over the past decades, offering renewed hope to patients with previously untreatable malignancies. This therapeutic approach could be catego...
Lung cancer immunotherapy in 2025: where we stand and what comes next?
managing toxicity, and ensuring equitable access. This review provides a comprehensive overview of current progress in lung cancer immunotherapy. It discusses the immunobiology of lung tumors, the ...
Advances in cancer immunotherapy and future directions in ...
Cancer immunotherapy has revolutionized oncologic treatment by harnessing and reprogramming the immune system to target malignant cells. This review provides a comprehensive picture of modern appro...
Latest Developments
Recent developments in immunotherapy and immune responses research as of February 2026 include advances in engineered cell therapies, personalized cancer vaccines, and antibody development to enhance immune activation against tumors, with studies highlighting immune biomarkers like IgG1 plasma cells and novel antibody strategies to supercharge immune responses (AACR, ScienceDaily, Mount Sinai).
Sources
Frequently Asked Questions
What role do dendritic cells play in immunity?
Dendritic cells are antigen-presenting cells that induce primary immune responses by capturing antigens and transferring information to adaptive immune cells. 'Dendritic cells and the control of immunity' (Banchereau and Steinman, 1998) demonstrates their control over immunity. 'Immunobiology of Dendritic Cells' (Banchereau et al., 2000) details their unique ability to initiate T cell responses.
How does PD-1/PD-L1 blockade work in breast cancer?
PD-1 and PD-L1 immune checkpoint blockade treats breast cancer by blocking these proteins to restore antitumor activity. 'PD-1 and PD-L1 Immune Checkpoint Blockade to Treat Breast Cancer' (Hartkopf et al., 2016) shows impressive antitumor effects and potential for long-term disease control. This approach represents a breakthrough in malignant disease treatment.
What survival benefits does ipilimumab provide in melanoma?
Ipilimumab, alone or with gp100 vaccine, improves overall survival in previously treated metastatic melanoma patients over gp100 alone. 'Improved Survival with Ipilimumab in Patients with Metastatic Melanoma' (Hodi et al., 2010) reports these outcomes in a clinical trial. Adverse events are often reversible with treatment.
What are the response rates of anti-PD-L1 in advanced cancers?
Anti-PD-L1 antibody induces durable tumor regression with 6-17% objective response rates and 12-41% disease stabilization at 24 weeks in cancers like non-small-cell lung cancer, melanoma, and renal-cell cancer. 'Safety and Activity of Anti–PD-L1 Antibody in Patients with Advanced Cancer' (Brahmer et al., 2012) confirms these results. The therapy targets advanced solid tumors effectively.
How do regulatory T cells influence immune responses?
Foxp3 programs the development and function of CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells, which modulate immunity. 'Foxp3 programs the development and function of CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells' (Fontenot et al., 2003) establishes this mechanism. These cells help maintain immune tolerance.
What is the cancer-immunity cycle?
The cancer-immunity cycle describes steps from antigen release to immune effector function against tumors. 'Oncology Meets Immunology: The Cancer-Immunity Cycle' (Chen and Mellman, 2013) outlines this process. It integrates innate and adaptive immunity in oncology.
Open Research Questions
- ? How can dendritic cell subsets be optimized for enhanced tumor antigen cross-presentation in immunotherapy?
- ? What mechanisms underlie resistance to PD-1/PD-L1 checkpoint blockade in breast cancer and melanoma?
- ? How does the tumor microenvironment suppress dendritic cell-induced T cell immunity?
- ? Which adjuvants most effectively boost innate immunity for therapeutic cancer vaccines?
- ? What factors determine the balance between immune activation and tolerance in dendritic cell responses?
Recent Trends
Preprints emphasize immune checkpoint inhibitors, adoptive cell therapy, and cancer vaccines, with reviews on lung cancer immunotherapy and broad spectrum achievements.
News reports $11.5 million NIH grant to UofL/UofL Health for cancer immunotherapies , $3 million to University of Houston for Cancer Immunotherapy Biomarker Core, and Mount Sinai study on antibody-producing immune cells with National Cancer Institute funding.
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