Abstract
In this chapter, we will learn that a potent immune system is not only protecting us from infectious diseases but also performs daily surveillance of our body for transformed cancer cells. We will discuss the core mechanism of cancer immunity, which is the recognition of neoantigens on the surface of cancer cells and the elimination of these cells by cytotoxic T cells. Since immune checkpoints are often modulated by negative regulators, such as CTLA4 and PDCD1, which prevent an efficient action of the cytotoxic T cells, monoclonal therapeutic antibodies that block CTLA4 and PDCD1 enhance the antitumor response of T cells and show remarkable clinical effects. Moreover, we will learn that most recent immunotherapeutics are T cells of the patient that have been engineered with a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) and are applied preferentially in hematological malignancies. Further advances in the understanding of immunology and genetic engineering technologies will lead to even more sophisticated immune therapies against different types of cancer with less systemic side effects than classical chemotherapies.