Coordination of chemokine and adhesion systems in intratumoral T cell migration responsible for the induction of tumor regression.

T cell migration into tumor masses is critical to the process of immunologically induced tumor regression. Like other lymphoid populations, T cells are recruited to inflammatory sites depending on the interaction of T cell integrin receptors with their ligands expressed on vasculature. It is increasingly becoming evident that the adhesive capacity of integrins is upregulated by signals from chemokine receptors. A model of intratumoral T cell migration has been established using IL-12 to induce tumor regression. Focusing on this particular model, we review how IL-12 works to upregulate the expression and/or function of chemokines/chemokine receptors as well as adhesion molecules and to induce collaboration between chemokine and adhesion systems. This article will also describe why such an IL-12-induced activation of chemokine and adhesion systems leads to T cell-mediated tumor regression in some tumor models, but not in others.