Interaction of tumor cells with the immune system: Implications for dendritic cell therapy and cancer progression

There is a continuous demand for preclinical modeling of the interaction of dendritic cells with the immune system and cancer cells. Recent progress in gene expression profiling with nucleic acid microarrays, in silico modeling and in vivo cell and animal approaches for non-clinical proof of safety and efficacy of these immunotherapies is summarized. Immunoinformatic approaches look promising to unfold this potential, although still unstable and difficult to interpret. Animal models have progressed a great deal in recent years, finally narrowing the gap from bench to bedside. However, translation to the clinic should be done with precaution. The most significant results concerning clinical benefit might come from detailed immunologic investigations made during well designed clinical trials of dendritic-cell-based therapies, which in general prove safe.