New Paths in Human Cancer Serology

Two questions have dominated the field of human cancer immunology throughout its history. Do cancer-specific antigens exist and, if so, are they recognized by the autologous host? Until recently, attempts to provide definitive answers to these questions have not been rewarded with much success. However, as in so many other areas of research where technical advances provide the means to advance fields, this has also been the case in cancer immunology. With regard to T cell–defined tumor antigens, the discovery of IL-2 permitted the isolation of stable lines of cytotoxic T cells with specificity for autologous melanoma cells (1), and this, in turn, led to the identification of T cell–recognized epitopes on human tumor cells (2, 3). With regard to antibody-defined tumor antigens, hybridoma technology for generating mouse and human monoclonal antibodies and advances in cloning and biochemical characterization of tumor antigens have given...