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Tumor-Specific T-Cell Memory: Clearing the Regulatory T-Cell Hurdle

Department of Microbiology and Immunology, and the Norris Cotton Cancer Center, Dartmouth Medical School, Lebanon, New Hampshire

Requests for reprints: Mary Jo Turk, Dartmouth Medical School, One Medical Center Drive, Lebanon, NH 03756. Phone: 603-653-3549; Fax: 603-653-9952; E-mail: mary.jo.turk{at}dartmouth.edu.

Key Words: T-cell memory • tumors • regulatory T cells • CD8 T cells • surgery • melanoma

Antitumor immune responses can be stimulated by interfering with regulatory T-cell (T_reg) function. However, this effect is short lived unless T-cell memory to tumor antigens can be generated. Our recent studies show that T_reg cells not only limit primary responses to tumor/self-antigens in tumor-bearing hosts but also prevent the natural generation of T-cell memory to such antigens. Here, we discuss the role of T_reg cells in suppressing T-cell memory after surgical excision of tumors and the potential clinical benefits of overcoming this suppression. [Cancer Res 2008;68(6):1614–7]