Biomaterial Database

Sex Hormones and Anticancer Immunity. 2019

Berna C Özdemir, and Gian-Paolo Dotto

Department of Oncology, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland. berna.ozdemir@chuv.ch paolo.dotto@unil.ch.

The impact of sex hormones on anticancer immunity deserves attention due to the importance of the immune system in cancer therapy and the recognition of sex differences in immunity. Cancer is ultimately the result of failed immune surveillance, and the diverging effects of male and female sex hormones on anticancer immunity could contribute to the higher cancer incidence and poorer outcome in men. Estrogens and androgens affect the number and function of immune cells, an effect that depends on cell type, tumor microenvironment, and the age and reproductive status of the individual. Despite the recent progress in immuno-oncology, our current understanding of the interplay between sex hormones and anticancer immune responses is in its infancy. In this review, we will focus on the impact of sex hormones on anticancer immunity and immunotherapy. We will discuss the potential role of the changing hormone levels in anticancer immunity during aging and in the context of menopausal hormone therapies and oral contraception. We will review emerging data on sex differences in PD-L1 expression and potential biomarkers predictive for the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors such as the microbiome and consider ongoing clinical trials evaluating the potential impact of hormone deprivation therapies to increase response to immune checkpoint inhibitors in breast and prostate cancer. Finally, we will point to areas of future research.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007111	Immunity, Cellular	Manifestations of the immune response which are mediated by antigen-sensitized T-lymphocytes via lymphokines or direct cytotoxicity. This takes place in the absence of circulating antibody or where antibody plays a subordinate role.	Cell-Mediated Immunity,Cellular Immune Response,Cell Mediated Immunity,Cell-Mediated Immunities,Cellular Immune Responses,Cellular Immunities,Cellular Immunity,Immune Response, Cellular,Immune Responses, Cellular,Immunities, Cell-Mediated,Immunities, Cellular,Immunity, Cell-Mediated,Response, Cellular Immune
D007167	Immunotherapy	Manipulation of the host's immune system in treatment of disease. It includes both active and passive immunization as well as immunosuppressive therapy to prevent graft rejection.	Immunotherapies
D008297	Male		Males
D011471	Prostatic Neoplasms	Tumors or cancer of the PROSTATE.	Cancer of Prostate,Prostate Cancer,Cancer of the Prostate,Neoplasms, Prostate,Neoplasms, Prostatic,Prostate Neoplasms,Prostatic Cancer,Cancer, Prostate,Cancer, Prostatic,Cancers, Prostate,Cancers, Prostatic,Neoplasm, Prostate,Neoplasm, Prostatic,Prostate Cancers,Prostate Neoplasm,Prostatic Cancers,Prostatic Neoplasm
D001943	Breast Neoplasms	Tumors or cancer of the human BREAST.	Breast Cancer,Breast Tumors,Cancer of Breast,Breast Carcinoma,Cancer of the Breast,Human Mammary Carcinoma,Malignant Neoplasm of Breast,Malignant Tumor of Breast,Mammary Cancer,Mammary Carcinoma, Human,Mammary Neoplasm, Human,Mammary Neoplasms, Human,Neoplasms, Breast,Tumors, Breast,Breast Carcinomas,Breast Malignant Neoplasm,Breast Malignant Neoplasms,Breast Malignant Tumor,Breast Malignant Tumors,Breast Neoplasm,Breast Tumor,Cancer, Breast,Cancer, Mammary,Cancers, Mammary,Carcinoma, Breast,Carcinoma, Human Mammary,Carcinomas, Breast,Carcinomas, Human Mammary,Human Mammary Carcinomas,Human Mammary Neoplasm,Human Mammary Neoplasms,Mammary Cancers,Mammary Carcinomas, Human,Neoplasm, Breast,Neoplasm, Human Mammary,Neoplasms, Human Mammary,Tumor, Breast
D005260	Female		Females
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D012739	Gonadal Steroid Hormones	Steroid hormones produced by the GONADS. They stimulate reproductive organs, germ cell maturation, and the secondary sex characteristics in the males and the females. The major sex steroid hormones include ESTRADIOL; PROGESTERONE; and TESTOSTERONE.	Gonadal Steroid Hormone,Sex Hormone,Sex Steroid Hormone,Sex Steroid Hormones,Sex Hormones,Hormone, Gonadal Steroid,Hormone, Sex,Hormone, Sex Steroid,Hormones, Gonadal Steroid,Hormones, Sex Steroid,Steroid Hormone, Gonadal,Steroid Hormone, Sex,Steroid Hormones, Gonadal,Steroid Hormones, Sex
D059016	Tumor Microenvironment	The milieu surrounding neoplasms consisting of cells, vessels, soluble factors, and molecules, that can influence and be influenced by, the neoplasm's growth.	Cancer Microenvironment,Cancer Microenvironments,Microenvironment, Cancer,Microenvironment, Tumor,Microenvironments, Cancer,Microenvironments, Tumor,Tumor Microenvironments
D060890	B7-H1 Antigen	An inhibitory B7 antigen that contains V-type and C2 type immunoglobulin domains. It has specificity for the T-CELL receptor PROGRAMMED CELL DEATH 1 PROTEIN and provides negative signals that control and inhibit T-cell responses. It is found at higher than normal levels on tumor cells, suggesting its potential role in TUMOR IMMUNE EVASION.	Antigens, CD274,PD-L1 Protein,Programmed Cell Death 1 Ligand 1 Protein,Programmed Death Ligand 1,B7-H1 Immune Costimulatory Protein,B7H1 Immune Costimulatory Protein,CD274 Antigen,PD-L1 Costimulatory Protein,Programmed Cell Death 1 Ligand 1,Antigen, B7-H1,Antigen, CD274,B7 H1 Antigen,B7 H1 Immune Costimulatory Protein,CD274 Antigens,Costimulatory Protein, PD-L1,PD L1 Costimulatory Protein,PD L1 Protein