Haematological malignancies: at the forefront of immunotherapeutic innovation

Haematological malignancies have provided both initial proofs of concept and an informative testing ground for various immune-based cancer therapeutics. The immune-cell origin of many of the blood malignancies provides a unique opportunity both to understand the mechanisms of cancer immune responsiveness and immune evasion, and to exploit the unique therapeutic opportunities they provide. The recent successes of cancer immunotherapies have stimulated interest in the potential widespread application of these approaches; haematological malignancies have provided both initial proofs of concept and an informative testing ground for various immune-based therapeutics. The immune-cell origin of many of the blood malignancies provides a unique opportunity both to understand the mechanisms of cancer immune responsiveness and immune evasion, and to exploit these mechanisms for therapeutic purposes.