AuthOr’s VIew

Immunotherapeutic approaches to lung cancer have potential. However, despite the identification of a large repertoire of tumor-associated antigens, hurdles persist that hinder the development of immuno-modulatory anticancer therapies. More effective immunotherapeutic strategies will likely result from an improved under-standing of the mechanisms that sustain tumor growth. Addressing the multiple immune deficits that are frequently exhib-ited by lung cancer patients is likely to be required for the implementation of effec-tive immunotherapy. Indeed, the activa-tion of the immune system alone is most often unable to mediate tumor eradication because of potent mechanisms of tumor-induced immunosuppression. Combined therapies boosting the immune system and reversing the mechanisms of immu-nosuppression ultimately will prove ben-eficial in our fight against lung cancer. Tumor progression and local tissue invasion cause the persistence of inflam-matory cellular tumor infiltrates (ICTIs). The tumor causes the cellular infiltrates to sustain dysregulated inflammation, which is immunologically unresponsive to the tumor. A significant proportion of the ICTI are myeloid-derived suppressor cells that maintain an immune suppressive environment1–3 and support tumor expan-sion in the surrounding tissue as well as Targeting MDSCs enhance therapeutic vaccination responses against lung cancer Minu K. srivastava,1,3 steven Dubinett1,2,3 and sherven sharma1,2,3,