Questions from the fourth son: A clinician reflects on immunomonitoring, surrogate markers and systems biology
The fourth son is the one who doesn't even know how to ask a question. Tumor immunology is challenged by the failure to identify reliable surrogate markers in vaccine and other experimental therapies for cancer; perhaps investigators haven't yet asked the right questions. Unlike prophyl...
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AIMS Press
2011-03-01
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| Series: | Mathematical Biosciences and Engineering |
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| Online Access: | https://www.aimspress.com/article/doi/10.3934/mbe.2011.8.279 |
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| author | Charles Wiseman M.D. |
| author_facet | Charles Wiseman M.D. |
| author_sort | Charles Wiseman |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The fourth son is the one who doesn't even know how to ask a question. Tumor immunology is challenged by the failure to identify reliable surrogate markers in vaccine and other experimental therapies for cancer; perhaps investigators haven't yet asked the right questions. Unlike prophylactic vaccines for infectious disease, where the development of antibody is considered a satisfactory endpoint, no such endpoint exists for human therapeutic vaccines. Why is this? Despite an extensive roster of in vitro assays that correlate immune responses to favorable clinical outcomes, no assay is sufficiently reliable to be usefully predictive for vaccine therapy. The discussion reviews some of the historical developments in tumor immunology and the problem of defining a causal relationship when strong correlations are identified. The development of mathematical models from empirical data may help inform the clinician/scientist about underlying mechanisms and help frame new testable hypotheses. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-d34967a784d34a91b7e64972b8cf24ec |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1551-0018 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2011-03-01 |
| publisher | AIMS Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Mathematical Biosciences and Engineering |
| spelling | doaj-art-d34967a784d34a91b7e64972b8cf24ec2025-01-24T02:01:39ZengAIMS PressMathematical Biosciences and Engineering1551-00182011-03-018227928710.3934/mbe.2011.8.279Questions from the fourth son: A clinician reflects on immunomonitoring, surrogate markers and systems biologyCharles Wiseman0M.D.1Wiseman Research Initiatives, LLC., 756 Fairfield Circle, Pasadena, CA 91106Wiseman Research Initiatives, LLC., 756 Fairfield Circle, Pasadena, CA 91106The fourth son is the one who doesn't even know how to ask a question. Tumor immunology is challenged by the failure to identify reliable surrogate markers in vaccine and other experimental therapies for cancer; perhaps investigators haven't yet asked the right questions. Unlike prophylactic vaccines for infectious disease, where the development of antibody is considered a satisfactory endpoint, no such endpoint exists for human therapeutic vaccines. Why is this? Despite an extensive roster of in vitro assays that correlate immune responses to favorable clinical outcomes, no assay is sufficiently reliable to be usefully predictive for vaccine therapy. The discussion reviews some of the historical developments in tumor immunology and the problem of defining a causal relationship when strong correlations are identified. The development of mathematical models from empirical data may help inform the clinician/scientist about underlying mechanisms and help frame new testable hypotheses.https://www.aimspress.com/article/doi/10.3934/mbe.2011.8.279cancer.systems biologyimmunomonitoring |
| spellingShingle | Charles Wiseman M.D. Questions from the fourth son: A clinician reflects on immunomonitoring, surrogate markers and systems biology Mathematical Biosciences and Engineering cancer. systems biology immunomonitoring |
| title | Questions from the fourth son: A clinician reflects on immunomonitoring, surrogate markers and systems biology |
| title_full | Questions from the fourth son: A clinician reflects on immunomonitoring, surrogate markers and systems biology |
| title_fullStr | Questions from the fourth son: A clinician reflects on immunomonitoring, surrogate markers and systems biology |
| title_full_unstemmed | Questions from the fourth son: A clinician reflects on immunomonitoring, surrogate markers and systems biology |
| title_short | Questions from the fourth son: A clinician reflects on immunomonitoring, surrogate markers and systems biology |
| title_sort | questions from the fourth son a clinician reflects on immunomonitoring surrogate markers and systems biology |
| topic | cancer. systems biology immunomonitoring |
| url | https://www.aimspress.com/article/doi/10.3934/mbe.2011.8.279 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT charleswiseman questionsfromthefourthsonaclinicianreflectsonimmunomonitoringsurrogatemarkersandsystemsbiology AT md questionsfromthefourthsonaclinicianreflectsonimmunomonitoringsurrogatemarkersandsystemsbiology |