An immune surveillance model to monitor the response to neo-adjuvant chemotherapy treatment in breast cancer patients

Background Tumors treated with doxorubicin generates immunogenic cell death of tumor cells, favoring cross-presentation of tumor antigens by DCs to CD8 T cells conferring antitumor immunity in vaccinated mice. On the other hand, low-dose of cyclophosphamide reduces the number of regulatory T cells (Treg). Although treatment with doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide (AC chemotherapy) is widely used in patients with breast cancer, the immunestimulating effect of AC in these patients has been difficult to prove.