Fig. 1

The Immune Cycle. The generation of effective anti-tumor immunity is depicted as a self-propagating, cyclic process that underpins amplification and broadening of T cell responses against specific tumor antigens. The immune cycle comprises functionally complementary stages that occur both at the site of tumor antigen release and systemically in draining lymph nodes. The three major phases include Activation and Recruitment of antigen presenting cells (stage 1-3), trafficking and tumor infiltration of T effector cells (stage 4-5) and recognition and killing of tumor cells (Stage 6-7); each phase comprises distinct functional stages that are regulated by intricate networks of positive and negative regulators (for more details refer to [1])