Immunoediting
Immunoediting is the process by which the immune system shapes tumor development in three phases: elimination, equilibrium, and escape. Robert Schreiber and colleagues formulated the model in 2004, building on the immune surveillance hypothesis of Burnet and Thomas.
The three phases
- Elimination. Immune cells — cytotoxic T cells, natural killer cells, macrophages — detect and destroy a transformed cell population outright. The tumor never becomes clinically visible.
- Equilibrium. Variant cells that resist killing persist under continuous immune pressure. They divide slowly and acquire further mutations, held in a dynamic stalemate that can last years. This is the phase in which the immune system acts as a selectiveLog in with DiscordSupport BrinedewContinue to read the draft.
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