Tapping CD4 T cells for cancer immunotherapy: the choice of personalized genomics

Cellular immune responses that protect against tumors typically have been attributed to CD8 T cells. However, CD4 T cells also play a central role. It was shown recently that, in a patient with metastatic cholangiocarcinoma, CD4 T cells specific for a peptide from a mutated region of ERBB2IP could arrest tumor progression. This and other recent findings highlight new opportunities for CD4 T cells in cancer immunotherapy. In this article, I discuss the role and regulation of CD4 T cells in response to tumor Ags. Emphasis is placed on the types of Ags and mechanisms that elicit tumor-protective responses. I discuss the advantages and drawbacks of cancer immunotherapy through personalized genomics. These considerations should help to guide the design of next-generation therapeutic cancer vaccines.