Tumour Genomic Heterogeneity in Immunotherapy

Science recently highlighted cancer immunotherapy as the “2013 Breakthrough of the Year”. More to the point, they stated "this year marks a turning point in cancer, as long-sought efforts to unleash the immune system against tumors are paying off - even if the future remains a question mark."
Most of the celebration involves the compelling results of targeted agents designed to reactivate the immune system by manipulating the PD-1/PD-L1 and CTLA-4 pathways.
By blocking these recently identified suppressor molecules, these targeted therapies are designed to unleash the immune system either as monotherapies or in combination with traditional cytotoxic chemotherapy.
While these investigations have provided a novel direction for enhancing cancer treatment, additional technologies still need to be developed to specifically identify tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) to harness the full power of the immune system.