Immunotherapy: from basic research to clinical applications

Activation or modulation of host immune responses is emerging as a promising strategy to combat many diseases, including autoimmune disorders and cancer. However, although initial successes have sometimes been encouraging, larger trials have unfortunately often shown only limited efficacy. There is clearly much room for improvement. The development of new therapies and their translation into clinical practice is the aim of the Collaborative Research Centre (Sonderforschungsbereich, SFB) 685, Tübingen, coordinated by Professor Hans-Georg Rammensee. To provide a forum for discussion of new developments, the SFB 685 hosted a symposium on immunotherapy, between 6 and 7 March 2008. The scope of this symposium encompassed basic research topics including NK cell, T cell and antigen-presenting cell (APC) biology as well as clinical applications of therapies developed from such research. Especially, the potentiation or attenuation of specific T cell responses is the common goal of many immunotherapeutic strategies. Since these responses are to a great extent determined by the delicate interplay between T cells and APC, manipulation of either cell type offers the opportunity for selective, yet at the same time powerful intervention. Dendritic cells (DC) are particularly interesting in this context as they bridge innate and adaptive immunity. Being able to harness their full potential would allow recruitment of both arms of the immune system for the desired therapeutic response. This, however, requires a good understanding of the basic processes governing the fate and actions of the cells involved. Although first successes are clearly being achieved with immunotherapeutic interventions, especially with soluble molecules such as antibodies or cytokines, the breakthrough in cellular immunotherapies crucially depends on knowledge gained by further research, both basic and clinical.