Tumor cells that survive radiation are more sensitive to T-cell-mediated lysis due to a spectrum of biological adaptations to cellular stress (defined as immunogenic modulation), including enhanced antigen processing and cell-surface presence of calreticulin. This mechanism can be exploited to maximize clinical benefit in patients receiving radiotherapy plus immunotherapy.
Keywords: CTL-mediated lysis; ER-stress; antigen-processing machinery; calreticulin; immunogenic modulation; immunotherapy; radiation therapy; therapeutic cancer vaccine.