Biomaterial Database

Immune mechanisms in bacillus Calmette-Guerin immunotherapy for superficial bladder cancer. 2003

Andreas Böhle, and Sven Brandau

Department of Urology, HELIOS Agnes Karll Hospital, Am Hochkamp 21, 23611 Bad Schwartau, Germany. aboehle@badschwartau.helios-kliniken.de

OBJECTIVE Of all medical disciplines it is exclusively in urology in which immunotherapy for cancer has an established position today with intravesical bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) against superficial bladder carcinoma recurrences. BCG is regarded as the most successful immunotherapy to date. However, the mode of action has not yet been fully elucidated. We provide a thorough overview of this complex field of research. METHODS Rather than simply reporting all experimental data available for better understanding the involved immune mechanisms, we chose to provide comprehensively only information supported by several independent pathways of evidence. RESULTS Major findings made during the last few years include systematic analyses of patient material, detailed in vitro studies and investigations in animal models, which have led to a substantially greater understanding of the mechanisms involved. CONCLUSIONS The efficacy of BCG is based on a complex and long lasting local immune activation. The bladder as a confined compartment, in which high local concentrations of the immunotherapy agent and effective recruitment of immune cells can be achieved, serves as an ideal target organ for this type of immunotherapy approach.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007378	Interleukins	Soluble factors which stimulate growth-related activities of leukocytes as well as other cell types. They enhance cell proliferation and differentiation, DNA synthesis, secretion of other biologically active molecules and responses to immune and inflammatory stimuli.	Interleukin
D009569	Nitric Oxide	A free radical gas produced endogenously by a variety of mammalian cells, synthesized from ARGININE by NITRIC OXIDE SYNTHASE. Nitric oxide is one of the ENDOTHELIUM-DEPENDENT RELAXING FACTORS released by the vascular endothelium and mediates VASODILATION. It also inhibits platelet aggregation, induces disaggregation of aggregated platelets, and inhibits platelet adhesion to the vascular endothelium. Nitric oxide activates cytosolic GUANYLATE CYCLASE and thus elevates intracellular levels of CYCLIC GMP.	Endogenous Nitrate Vasodilator,Mononitrogen Monoxide,Nitric Oxide, Endothelium-Derived,Nitrogen Monoxide,Endothelium-Derived Nitric Oxide,Monoxide, Mononitrogen,Monoxide, Nitrogen,Nitrate Vasodilator, Endogenous,Nitric Oxide, Endothelium Derived,Oxide, Nitric,Vasodilator, Endogenous Nitrate
D001743	Urinary Bladder	A musculomembranous sac along the URINARY TRACT. URINE flows from the KIDNEYS into the bladder via the ureters (URETER), and is held there until URINATION.	Bladder,Bladder Detrusor Muscle,Detrusor Urinae,Bladder Detrusor Muscles,Bladder, Urinary,Detrusor Muscle, Bladder,Detrusor Muscles, Bladder
D001749	Urinary Bladder Neoplasms	Tumors or cancer of the URINARY BLADDER.	Bladder Cancer,Bladder Neoplasms,Cancer of Bladder,Bladder Tumors,Cancer of the Bladder,Malignant Tumor of Urinary Bladder,Neoplasms, Bladder,Urinary Bladder Cancer,Bladder Cancers,Bladder Neoplasm,Bladder Tumor,Cancer, Bladder,Cancer, Urinary Bladder,Neoplasm, Bladder,Neoplasm, Urinary Bladder,Tumor, Bladder,Tumors, Bladder,Urinary Bladder Neoplasm
D000276	Adjuvants, Immunologic	Substances that augment, stimulate, activate, potentiate, or modulate the immune response at either the cellular or humoral level. The classical agents (Freund's adjuvant, BCG, Corynebacterium parvum, et al.) contain bacterial antigens. Some are endogenous (e.g., histamine, interferon, transfer factor, tuftsin, interleukin-1). Their mode of action is either non-specific, resulting in increased immune responsiveness to a wide variety of antigens, or antigen-specific, i.e., affecting a restricted type of immune response to a narrow group of antigens. The therapeutic efficacy of many biological response modifiers is related to their antigen-specific immunoadjuvanticity.	Immunoactivators,Immunoadjuvant,Immunoadjuvants,Immunologic Adjuvant,Immunopotentiator,Immunopotentiators,Immunostimulant,Immunostimulants,Adjuvant, Immunologic,Adjuvants, Immunological,Immunologic Adjuvants,Immunological Adjuvant,Adjuvant, Immunological,Immunological Adjuvants
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D001500	BCG Vaccine	An active immunizing agent and a viable avirulent attenuated strain of MYCOBACTERIUM BOVIS, which confers immunity to mycobacterial infections. It is used also in immunotherapy of neoplasms due to its stimulation of antibodies and non-specific immunity.	Bacillus Calmette Guerin Vaccine,Calmette Guerin Bacillus Vaccine,Calmette's Vaccine,Calmette Vaccine,Calmettes Vaccine,Vaccine, BCG,Vaccine, Calmette's
D016207	Cytokines	Non-antibody proteins secreted by inflammatory leukocytes and some non-leukocytic cells, that act as intercellular mediators. They differ from classical hormones in that they are produced by a number of tissue or cell types rather than by specialized glands. They generally act locally in a paracrine or autocrine rather than endocrine manner.	Cytokine