Tumour antigens recognised by T lymphocytes

Cancer cells bear markers (antigens) that identify them to the immune system. These antigens can be recognised by either cytotoxic or helper T lymphocytes, which can in turn produce a variety of anticancer effects, including direct lysis of tumour cells or indirect inhibition of tumour growth via the release of cytokines. Over the past two decades, the identity and structure of many different tumour antigens has been revealed via a range of different techniques. Some of these antigens are found only on tumour cells, whereas others can be found on both normal and cancerous tissues. Extensive efforts are currently underway to exploit this knowledge to develop effective therapeutic vaccines that elicit the immune system to eradicate cancer cells from the body