Introduction:
Immunity is a complex system of study related to expelling pathogenic substances (viruses, bacteria, parasites) from the body. It is separated into two distinct categories: the innate immune system and the acquired immune system. The innate immune system is comprised of the body’s first line of defense which consist of physical barriers and certain cell types. The acquired immune system is more specific, actually focusing in on the individual pathogen in question. Focusing on the individual pathogen allows for a more targeted defense, which is the ultimate reason vaccinations function properly. Having been previously exposed to an antigen, the body is then able to produce receptors for that antigen, recognize them and respond …show more content…
HLA plays a key role in either the down- or up-regulation of certain factors that contribute to tumor progression. With this discovery, it has recently been revealed that HLA can actually function to help or harm a host depending on the situation the host finds itself in. A study conducted by the Center for Cancer and Immunology Research sought to find a connection between what caused HLA presence to help or harm a host when dealing with brain cancer. (Smith et …show more content…
It is a very aggressive form of cancer, claiming the lives of approximately 75% of deaths in skin cancer cases. With these depressing statistics, it is increasingly important to find a solution to the problem. If the tumor can be detected in its earliest stage, surgical removal is a viable option; however, if it is not found, it is almost certain to metastasize. As with any chronic disease, the most opportune form of treatment is early detection of the tumorous mass. (Potrony et al.). One of the methods of investigating early detection is the presence of MHC class 1 molecules on the surfaces of cells.
One of the underlying problems with cancers is its ability to evade the immune system. Melanoma may be able to effectively do this by the down-regulation of molecules with MHC class 1. By this down-regulation, melanoma tumors are effectively able to grow by avoiding the CD8+ T-cells of the immune system (Maeurer et al.).
Several medical teams, using the melanoma system, have started a project focused on the idea of developing a form of a vaccine to cancer cells. The project, centered on the idea of the immune system destroying the cancerous cells, could only be successful if the tumor cells expressed the MHC class 1 molecules specific to the receptor. To determine the efficacy of this solution, the presence of MHC presenting molecules would need to be assessed prior to treatment (Maeurer
Immunity is a complex system of study related to expelling pathogenic substances (viruses, bacteria, parasites) from the body. It is separated into two distinct categories: the innate immune system and the acquired immune system. The innate immune system is comprised of the body’s first line of defense which consist of physical barriers and certain cell types. The acquired immune system is more specific, actually focusing in on the individual pathogen in question. Focusing on the individual pathogen allows for a more targeted defense, which is the ultimate reason vaccinations function properly. Having been previously exposed to an antigen, the body is then able to produce receptors for that antigen, recognize them and respond …show more content…
HLA plays a key role in either the down- or up-regulation of certain factors that contribute to tumor progression. With this discovery, it has recently been revealed that HLA can actually function to help or harm a host depending on the situation the host finds itself in. A study conducted by the Center for Cancer and Immunology Research sought to find a connection between what caused HLA presence to help or harm a host when dealing with brain cancer. (Smith et …show more content…
It is a very aggressive form of cancer, claiming the lives of approximately 75% of deaths in skin cancer cases. With these depressing statistics, it is increasingly important to find a solution to the problem. If the tumor can be detected in its earliest stage, surgical removal is a viable option; however, if it is not found, it is almost certain to metastasize. As with any chronic disease, the most opportune form of treatment is early detection of the tumorous mass. (Potrony et al.). One of the methods of investigating early detection is the presence of MHC class 1 molecules on the surfaces of cells.
One of the underlying problems with cancers is its ability to evade the immune system. Melanoma may be able to effectively do this by the down-regulation of molecules with MHC class 1. By this down-regulation, melanoma tumors are effectively able to grow by avoiding the CD8+ T-cells of the immune system (Maeurer et al.).
Several medical teams, using the melanoma system, have started a project focused on the idea of developing a form of a vaccine to cancer cells. The project, centered on the idea of the immune system destroying the cancerous cells, could only be successful if the tumor cells expressed the MHC class 1 molecules specific to the receptor. To determine the efficacy of this solution, the presence of MHC presenting molecules would need to be assessed prior to treatment (Maeurer