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Epigenetic targets for immune intervention in human malignancies

Oncogene volume 22, pages 6484–6488 (2003)Cite this article

Abstract

Emerging evidences suggest that epigenetic events associated with tumor development and progression, such as deregulated methylation of CpG dinucleotides and aberrant histone acetylation, may impair the immunogenic potential of cancer cells. In fact, DNA hypermethylation and/or histone deacetylation contribute to the absent or downregulated expression of different components of the ‘tumor recognition complex’ (i.e., HLA class I antigens, cancer/testis antigens and accessory/costimulatory molecules) in solid and hemopoietic human malignancies. However, pharmacologic agents that induce DNA hypomethylation or inhibit histone deacetylation can modify these epigenetic phenomena, restoring the defective expression of selected components of the ‘tumor recognition complex’ in cancer cells. These antigenic modifications positively modulate the immunogenicity and the immune recognition of cancer cells, making epigenetic drugs attractive agents to design new combined chemoimmunotherapeutic strategies for the treatment of cancer patients.

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Acknowledgements

We acknowledge Dr Anna D'Amato for her skillful editorial assistance. This work was supported in part by the Associazione Italiana per la Ricerca sul Cancro, by the progetto Ricerca Finalizzata awarded by the Italian Ministry of Public Health and by the Compagnia di San Paolo, Turin, Italy.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Bioimmunotherapy Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Aviano, 33081, Italy

    Michele Maio, Sandra Coral, Elisabetta Fratta, Maresa Altomonte & Luca Sigalotti

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  1. Michele Maio
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  2. Sandra Coral
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  3. Elisabetta Fratta
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  4. Maresa Altomonte
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Correspondence to Michele Maio.

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Maio, M., Coral, S., Fratta, E. et al. Epigenetic targets for immune intervention in human malignancies. Oncogene 22, 6484–6488 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.onc.1206956

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