Tumour Immunobiology: A Practical Approach(121 Practical Approach Series)

The idea that the immune system may play a role in protecting against malignant disease is not new. Since the earliest days of immunology research, scientists have sought to understand the mechanisms by which the host immune system might recognise cancer cells, and to manipulate these responses for therapeutic gain. It has become clear that the key to immune recognition of tumours lies in the relationship between cells in the microenvironment of the tumour itself. This volume provides a comprehensive collection of techniques for establishing tumour cell lines, testing their immunogenicity, and characterising the major effector cells, leading to protocols for manipulating antibody and T-cell receptor structure, preparing cytokine-secreting tumour cells and testing the efficiency of these new agents in preventing tumour growth. Researchers in immunology as a whole in addition to those interested in cancer immunology will find Tumour Immunobiology: A Practical Approach to be an invaluable practical resource.

Table of Contents:
1: A.P. Wilson: Preparation of tumour cell-lines 2: R.R. Miller, B.E. Miller, and G.H. Heppner: Assessment of the immunogenicity of tumour models 3: J. Lawry: Flow cytometry of lymphocytes and tumour cells 4: M.R. Price: (Glyco-) protein antigens and peptide epitopes of tumours 5: T. Timonen, A. Maenpaa, and P. Kovanen (with additional material by V.P. Thorgersson and A.R. Mackay): Isolation and characterization of natural killer cells 6: L.J. Partridge and I. Dransfield: Isolation and characterization of mononuclear phagocytes 7: R.A. Robins: T-cells: proliferative and cytotoxic responses 8: G. Pawelec: Cloning and propagation of human T lymphocytes 9: S.L. Hand, B.L. Hall, and O.J. Finn: Association of TCR expression with MHC recognition 10: F.S. di Giovine, S. Stones, D. Wojtacha, and G.W. Duff: Cytokines: identification and measurement of gene activation n 11F.P. Winstanley: Cytokine bioassay 12: M. Kurpisz and G. Wilson: Strategies for the production of human monoclonal antibodies 13: M.V. Pimm and S.J. Gibbon: Radiolabelling antibodies for imaging and targeting 14: M.J. Glennie, A.L. Tutt, and J. Greenman: Preparation of multispecific F(ab) and F(ab) antibody derivatives 15: M.S. Hayden, H.P. Fell, and N.F. Landolfi: Construction and expression of Ig fusion proteins 16: M.E. Verhoeyen: Reshaping human monoclonal antibodies for in vivo diagnosis and therapy 17: M. Whitlow and D. Filpula: Single-chain Fvs 18: P.M. Patel, C.L. Flemming, S.A. Eccles, and M.K.L. Collins: Engineering cytokine-secreting tumour cells 19 Ex vivo activation of effector cells: K.E. Platts: 20: C. Darnbrough: Genetic immortalization of human lymphocytes using retroviral vectors 21: Z. Eshhar, G. Gross, and J. Treisman: Modifying the specificity of T cells using chimeric Ig/TCR genes 22: R.B. Wiltrout: The use of pre-clinical rodent models for cancer immunotherapy n 23I.E. Grcia de Palazzo, M. Holmes, K. Alpaugh, and L.M. Weiner: Use of the tumour spheroid model in immunotherapy

Review :
'The editors of this book should be congratulated for ensuring that their contributors maintained a common style of method presentation, from the simplest of procedures such as the removal of a tumour from a tumour-bearing animal, to the more complex, such as modifying chimeric T-cells using chimeric T-cell receptor (TCR)-Ig genes. The instructions for each method are concise, precise and include a list of the equipment required for each procedure. In addition, methods for evaluating the success of a procedure are detailed carefully, so thst the practitioner can evaluate if a technique has been accomplished successfully ... the methods and protocols described within this volume will be extremely useful for the basic tumour immunobiologist, regardless of their level of experience.' Lionel A. Manson, University of Pennsylvania, Immunology Today, Vol. 15, No. 2, 1994 `This book provides a comprehensive discussion of the many techniques and approaches essential for the study of tumor immunobiology. Each chapter provides excellent background information to clarify the importance of the technique, approach, or antitumor mechanism which is being discussed. I would strongly recommend this text as a reference for individuals working in tumor immunology as well as for the scientist interested in understanding practical techniques needed to evaluate the immune response to cancer. This book clearly encourages and facilitates additional research in tumor immunology by providing essential tools for investigators interested in this research.' M. Albertini, Oncology, Vol. 52, No. 3, 1995