Immunological inhibition of carcinogenesis

The combination of new information provided by fundamental immunology, along with the refinement of genetic engineering techniques has given scientists the capacity to produce vaccines able to inhibit the growth of most if not every transplantable tumor. However, when faced with already established tumors, vaccines fail to afford any significant protection. Many studies are underway which seek to overcome this gloomy situation. However, another possibility is to follow the indications provided by a large quantity of experimental data and to evaluate the possibility of using immunotherapy to prevent the initial stages of tumor growth. Is it possible to prevent an autologous tumor by means of a vaccination performed before tumor onset? Could antitumor vaccines be a new form of preventive medicine in the wake of Jenner, Pasteur, and other pioneers? In this paper it is our intention to review the results obtained by our laboratory in the attempt to use natural and adaptive immunity in the control of carcinogenesis. Natural immunity boosted by IL-12 and IL-2 significantly hampers the progression of mammary lesions occurring in HER-2/neu transgenic mice genetically predestined to develop lethal mammary carcinomas. Specific immunity elicited by DNA vaccination provides a much stronger inhibition of the development of mammary lesions, and a significant number of transgenic mice are tumor free at 1 year of age. These experimental data suggest the possibility of using immunity as a means of controlling preneoplastic lesions and protecting healthy persons at risk of developing cancer.