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Melanoma is one of the most aggressive and therapy-resistant types of cancer, the incidence rate of which grows every year. However, conventional methods of chemo- and radiotherapy do not allow for completely removing neoplasm, resulting in local, regional, and distant relapses. In this case, adjuvant therapy can be used to reduce the risk of recurrence. One of the types of maintenance cancer therapy is cell-based immunotherapy, in which immune cells, such as T-cells, NKT-cells, B cells, NK cells, macrophages, and dendritic cells are used to recognize and mobilize the immune system to kill cancer cells. These cells can be isolated from the patient's peripheral blood or biopsy material and genetically modified, cultured ex vivo, following infusion back into the patient for powerful induction of an anti-tumor immune response. In this review, the advantages and problems of the most relevant methods of cell-based therapy and ongoing clinical trials of adjuvant therapy of melanoma are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dendritic cell (DC)-based cancer vaccines are a form of immunotherapy that activates the innate and adaptive immune systems to combat cancers. Neutrophils contribute to cancer biology and have the potential to be exploited by immunotherapeutic platforms to enhance anti-tumor immune responses. We previously showed that DC vaccines elicit the expansion of mouse interferon (IFN)γ-producing mature natural killer (NK) cells to elevate anti-tumor responses. Here, we demonstrate the rapid recruitment of neutrophils to the draining lymph nodes of DC-vaccinated mice. This was accompanied by an increase in the total number of NK cells producing IFN γ and expressing CD107a, a marker of degranulation that demonstrates NK cell functional activity. Furthermore, the depletion of neutrophils in DC-immunized mice resulted in decreased numbers of NK cells in draining lymph nodes compared to the controls. Interestingly, the increased number of IFNγ- and CD107a-expressing NK cells in DC-immunized mice was not detected in mice depleted of neutrophils. Further investigations showed that DC vaccines induced IFN γ − and TNF α -producing CD8+ T cells that also expressed CD107a, but depletion of neutrophils did not have any impact on the CD8+ T cell population. Our findings suggest that neutrophil-mediated anti-tumor immunity induced by a DC vaccine platform could be targeted to provide innovative strategies to enhance its clinical efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The immune system plays a fundamental role in neoplastic disease. In the era of immunotherapy, the adaptive immune response has been in the spotlight whereas the role of innate immunity in cancer development and progression is less known. The tumor microenvironment influences the terminal differentiation of innate immune cells, which can explicate their pro-tumor or anti-tumor effect. Different cells are able to recognize and eliminate no self and tumor cells: macrophages, natural killer cells, monocytes, dendritic cells, and neutrophils are, together with the elements of the complement system, the principal players of innate immunity in cancer development and evolution. Metastatic breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease from the stromal, immune, and biological point of view and requires deepened exploration to understand different patient outcomes. In this review, we summarize the evidence about the role of innate immunity in breast cancer metastatic sites and the potential targets for optimizing the innate response as a novel treatment opportunity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), an important chronic disease, is one of the major causes of high mortality and creates a substantial financial burden worldwide. The various immune cells in the liver, including macrophages, NK cells, dendritic cells, and the neutrophils involved in the innate immune response, trigger inflammation after recognizing the damage signaled from infection or injured cells and tissues. The stimulator of interferon genes (STING) is a critical molecule that binds to the cyclic dinucleotides (CDNs) generated by the cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS) to initiate the innate immune response against infection. Previous studies have demonstrated that the cGAS-STING pathway plays a critical role in inflammatory, auto-immune, and anti-viral immune responses. Recently, studies have focused on the role of STING in liver diseases, the results implying that alterations in its activity may be involved in the pathogenesis of liver disorders. Here, we summarize the function of STING in the development of NAFLD and present the current inhibitors and agonists targeting STING. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Gastric cancer is still one of the leading causes of death caused by cancer in developing countries. The emerging role of immunotherapy in cancer treatment has led to more research to elucidate the roles of essential immune cells in gastric cancer prognosis. We reviewed the roles of immune cells including T cells, B cells, dendritic cells, macrophages and natural killer cells in gastric cancer. Although the studies conducted on the roles of immune cells in gastric cancer pathogenesis produced conflicting results, understanding the roles of immune cells in gastric cancer will help us to harness them for application in immunotherapy for better prognosis and management of gastric cancer patients. Despite the fact that the incidence of gastric cancer has declined over the last decade, it is still the world's leading cause of cancer-related death. The diagnosis of early gastric cancer is difficult, as symptoms of this cancer only manifest at a late stage of cancer progression. Thus, the prognosis of gastric cancer is poor, and the current treatment for improving patients' outcomes involves the application of surgery and chemotherapy. Immunotherapy is one of the most recent therapies for gastric cancer, whereby the immune system of the host is programmed to combat cancer cells, and the therapy differs based upon the patient's immune system. However, an understanding of the role of immune cells, namely the cell-mediated immune response and the humoral immune response, is pertinent for applications of immunotherapy. The roles of immune cells in the prognosis of gastric cancer have yielded conflicting results. This review discusses the roles of immune cells in gastric cancer pathogenesis, specifically, T cells, B cells, macrophages, natural killer cells, and dendritic cells, as well as the evidence presented thus far. Understanding how cancer cells interact with immune cells is of paramount importance in designing treatment options for gastric cancer immunotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]