Immunotherapies For Cancer, a Promising Cure?

Cancer is a common cause of death around the world. To date, surgery is still the only curative option for most types of cancer. Moreover, the majority of cancer is a prominent resistance to traditional therapies that we have long been using, including chemotherapy and radiotherapy. In recent years, different types of immune cells have been recognized as a critical component in therapies. Especially, the cancer-immunotherapy has come into the spotlight. In a number of clinical trials, it has shown capabilities of addressing the defects of transitional therapies, achieving complete eradication of neoplasms and constructing a long-lasting immunity to prevent recurrence. Currently, remarkable progress and innovations in methods and approaches are made. In this article, we first discuss the main types of immune cells participated in anti-tumor/cancer activities, immunotherapy and its applications in multiple fields. Next, we summarize the associations between the immune system and cancer, and current immunotherapies for cancer, including specific examples or experimental trials, with the advantages and disadvantages of each. Despite many unsolved questions regarding immunotherapy such as financial concerns, the current paper overall demonstrates that the development of immunotherapy is an emerging and potentially influential therapy for improving the survival rate and prognosis of cancer.