The immune system: taming and unleashing cancer.

The immune system usually detects and destroys pre-malignant cells, which are cells that have initiated oncogenic transformation. To fulfill this role, the immune system must distinguish between normal and transformed cells rather than between self and non-self. A large body of novel research studies illuminates the close relation between immunosurveillance and oncogenesis, suggesting new strategies for reestablishing the immune response against established tumors.